IAI, Iron Drone to improve Drone Guard defense
Israel Aerospace Industries and Iron Drone have entered into a collaboration agreement to integrate interception capabilities into IAI’s anti-drone Drone Guard system.
All of the components of the Drone Guard system for drone detection, air defense and intelligence collection systems are manufactured by IAI’s ELTA systems, which has sold over 100 units to disrupt the operation of malicious drones.
The intercepting drone can be launched during the day or night from a docking station that hosts several ready-touse drones. It can be steered to the target with the help of the advanced radar integrated with Drone Guard, capable of detecting drones as they enter the airspace.
The radar uses sensors and computer vision to home in and lock onto the target up to the physical hit of the attacker and its neutralization. The entire process is automated, requiring no human intervention.
Several intercepting drones can be launched simultaneously to address several targets or swarms. The system can be used in areas like airports, populated residential areas, power plants, sensitive facilities and other infrastructure where other defense systems cannot operate.
While drones and other incendiary aerial devices are cheap and usually toys that can be bought on the civilian market, they are fast and small enough to evade air-defense systems and can pose a threat to low altitude flights, sensitive facilities and more. Drones can also be used for intelligence collection, smuggling and even to carry out attacks against military personnel or civilians.
The increased use of drones, both by legitimate users and by threat actors like terror groups and criminal organizations, has pushed many companies to scramble and come up with a multi-layered, integrated technology to neutralize the threat they can pose.
According to a statement released by IAI, ELTA’s collaboration with Iron Drone is part of its strategy to collaborate with start-ups “to leverage their innovative technologies [into] their existing systems to improve performance.”
Zvi Yarom, general manager of ELTA’s Land Systems Division, said that the collaboration agreement and integration of interception capabilities in Drone Guard provides a “specialized solution” for a broad range of threats.
“Drone Guard represents ELTA’s extensive know-how and experience in radars, intelligence, and AI combined with Iron Drone’s unique kinetic interception solution. The integration has been tried, proven and demonstrated in several pilots, and is now being marketed to customers,” he added.
Drone Guard is one of a set of systems manufactured at IAI’s new ELTA Land Systems facility, under construction in Beer Sheba at an investment of over NIS 100 million.
“The strategic collaboration with IAI’s ELTA Systems is a significant milestone for Iron Drone. The combination of Drone Guard’s advanced capabilities with Iron Drone’s steering and homing excellence result in a significant business and technological venture,” said Matan Melamed, CEO of Iron Drone.