Planned capacity of 12,000 interceptors a year, under 100 seconds to target: US firm pitches a low-cost drone killer
The fastest model cruises at 540 km/h, which may be enough to catch Russia’s jet Gerans, a defense news outlet suggests..
On 12 October, CHAOS Industries unveiled its Vespid interceptor drones at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington. The company claims the interceptors are a cost-effective solution against small and mid-size drones, as well as one-way attack munitions.
CHAOS expects to produce 12,000 interceptors annually, with potential expansion to 50,000 units as demand increases. The current focus arises as Russia shifts its strike drones to jet power, moving away from earlier models like the Geran-3. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia currently manufactures around 3,000 faster Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones monthly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported in mid-September that two Ukrainian companies successfully passed combat tests with interceptors against such drones, while 67 more were still in development. Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express evaluated the new US drones specifically against this threat.
The Mk 1 interceptor, displayed on a Forterra MESA autonomous ground vehicle, fires its projectiles from tubes attached to launchers like the 10-round ISS Aerospace HAL10. The interceptor is guided by CHAOS radars or external command systems, with an AI-assisted infrared seeker handling the final approach. Powered by an electric ducted fan, the Mk 1 costs less and requires less logistical support compared to turbojet interceptors.
Both the Mk 1 and smaller Mk 0 interceptors can reach a target in under 100 seconds and have a range of over 10 km. However, Defense Express notes that this range may be a drawback, as deploying more launchers around a city could help offset this limitation.
The Mk 0 is a man-portable drone requiring no operator input after launch. With cruise speeds of 100 m/s (360 km/h) and 150 m/s (540 km/h), Defense Express believes these speeds may be sufficient to intercept the Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, which they estimate to travel at 340 km/h and 450-600 km/h, respectively.
Ukrainian manufacturers claim their interceptors have already downed several slower jet-powered Geran-3 drones. A representative from Wild Hornets, a company that has downed slower Geran-4 drones in limited use, stated that their new interceptor has destroyed about ten Geran-4s and several Geran-5s in limited deployment. CHAOS Industries plans mass production of the interceptors within a month of completing combat tests.
On the same day as the Vespid unveiling, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that he and Lasar’s Group commander Pavlo Yelizarov had created a new interceptor with troops and engineers. Fedorov reported that this interceptor had downed two Geran-5 drones heading towards Kyiv. Lasar’s Group, described by Fedorov as a National Guard special unit, flew these combat tests, according to Fedorov.
Additionally, a Ukrainian jet interceptor with a top speed above 600 km/h reportedly entered combat testing in August.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
