European defense firm MBDA has introduced its latest counter-drone solution specifically designed for the maritime environment.
The cutting-edge system was unveiled during the 2022 Euronaval exhibition in Paris.
According to company official Christophe Balducchi, the new counter-drone solution is basically a naval version of the Sky Warden, which integrates the Mistral 3 air defense missile and Akeron surface-to-surface missile.
It uses a modular command-and-control system and can be outfitted with various sensors and effectors.
Balducchi stated that the new solution is designed to protect warships, ports, and other maritime assets from the evolving threat of unmanned systems.
“I think the challenge of the counter-drone [system] in general and in particular, for the naval domain, is the wide spectrum of threats,” he said.
“If you talk about the naval domain, you have to counter UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), from micro drones up to small or even large drones.”
The Sky Warden
MBDA’s Sky Warden is a ground-based air defense system that neutralizes threats from tactical drones to traditional “air breathing” threats.
It can operate as an integrated component in an air defense architecture or in a standalone configuration.
“You know that the drone threat is very evolutive, so what we are trying to do is to see how we could adapt the Sky Warden to naval platforms and then what type of sensors and effectors could be adapted…” Balducchi said.
The MBDA did not specify the final deployment date of the naval counter-drone solution.
The system is currently in the research and development phase.