The big problem with today’s air defense is money. And firing a missile costing half a million euros to shoot down a drone that costs just hundreds of euros is an economic ruin that no army can sustain in the long term.
To solve this, a startup has proposed a radically different alternative. According to reports Business InsiderNordic Air Defense has developed an interceptor so small and cheap that it could be mass-produced to clear the skies of threats.
It is about the Kreuger-100XR, a drone that measures only 30 centimeters and weighs half a kilo. Its objective is to democratize air security, and instead of depending on a few expensive missiles, the idea is to have thousands of cheap interceptors ready to act.
A simple design to gain speed
At first glance, the Kreuger-100XR looks more like a toy, what military weaponry, but It is made of carbon fiber and has a stylized design. The big difference with other interceptor drones is that it does not use four motors to float, but rather a single rear propeller.
This design decision is key, because having a single engine and missile shape, The device is much faster than a conventional drone, exceeding 350 kilometers per hour.
Ultimately, this allows you to chase and hunt fast-moving targets, something that commercial quadcopters often have a hard time doing. Additionally, its foldable wings make it aerodynamic and easy to transport, making it ideal for soldiers on the battlefield.
The main advantage of this invention is purely economic. Today, systems like the Stinger cost around 450,000 euros per unit. Spending that on a lesser target is a mistake. Although the company has not given the exact figure, it assures that its interceptor costs only a few thousand dollars..
This low price allows the strategy to change, because if the enemy attacks with a swarm of fifty cheap drones, the defense can respond by launching another fifty interceptors without ruining the budget. It is the only effective way to combat drone swarms.
Portable and explosive capacity
The system is designed to be very easy to use. A soldier can carry several of these «mini-missiles» in a regular backpack and launch them by hand or with a catapult. There is no need for heavy vehicles or complex installations.
Once in the air, the device can fly autonomously for 20 minutes searching for its target with a camera or following a laser pointer. To take down the threat, you have two options: crash directly into it at full speed or detonate a small explosive charge.
This power is enough to disable large attack drones, such as the well-known Shahed models. The curious thing about this project is that it comes from a company with only 25 employees and two years of life.
While defense giants like Lockheed Martin or MBDA move billions and have slow processes, these startups are offering quick solutions to new problems.
Europe is beginning to realize that future security does not depend only on having the biggest missile, but on having agile and cheap tools capable of denying control of the sky to enemy swarms.