EOS adds kamikaze drone to its arsenal, ADM reports

By Max Blenkin

Defence company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has added a kamikaze drone to its counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) portfolio.

EOS announced this week it had entered an agreement to acquire the Interceptor business from the UK MARSS Group for around $10 million.

Interceptor is a small electric powered drone which rams hostile drones. It has a range around five kilometres.

EOS said the Interceptor acquisition complemented their existing counter-drone capabilities, using emerging advanced technology which was seen as highly promising in the future counter-drone product mix.

The company expects it will take 12-24 months of further development before a full commercial launch. That will require investment of some $10 million over the next three years.

“Interceptor will broaden EOS’ counter drone ‘effector’ portfolio, complementing EOS’ RWS (remote weapon systems) and High Energy Laser Weapons, offering another defensive layer,” the company said.

“This important effector has high strategic product potential due to AI capability to counter smart drones and high-speed ability, up to 290 km/h.”

Interceptor also features low product cost compared to alternative counter-UAS hard kill effectors such as rockets and missiles. It can also be integrated onto EOS RWS systems.

Under the agreement with MARSS, EOS will acquire all Interceptor assets and employ the expert team of specialised engineers that created this product to continue its development.  

The initial $10 million investment will be funded from EOS’ existing cash reserves.

EOS RWS, especially its Slinger C-UAS gun system, have proved effective . Its Apollo high energy laser has also shown great promise, with the first full system recently sold to the Netherlands.

Against large numbers of small inexpensive drones, guided missiles can also be effective, though at costs vastly exceeding the costs of the systems they are killing.

Basic C-UAS features radio frequency (RF) detection, classification and jamming and remains effective against numerous drone types, though less effective against new generations of smart drones.

In Ukraine, Russian forces are increasingly using drones directed through a long fibre optic cable. Hence, kamikaze drones are emerging as an effective drone countermeasure.

Interceptor was officially launched in 2022 as a hard-kill system which rams hostile drones, rather than employing an explosive warhead.

It’s electric powered and guided by an imaging infrared sensor aid by AI, with ability to re-engage if it misses on first pass. If not destroyed, Interceptor is recoverable for re-use.

Claimed cost is under US $50,000 ($77,460) per unit, substantial but still much less than a single air-to-air missile.