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A Drone Designed to Counter Kamikaze Drones
At the Unmanned Systems X exhibition held in Bonn on March 25 and 26, Airbus Defence & Space introduced a new air defense system known as LOAD (Low-cost Air Defence). This drone is developed from the Do-DT25 model, typically used as a training target, but modified to carry up to three guided missiles, potentially more depending on their weight and size.
The concept is straightforward: LOAD drones are launched by catapult and controlled from a ground station that guides them using radar data or aerial images. Their mission? Identify, track, and, upon operator authorization, destroy enemy kamikaze drones. Their operational range exceeds 100 kilometers, and once their mission is completed, they return to their base by deploying a parachute for recovery and reuse.
A Cost-Effective Solution Against Drone Swarms
The LOAD concept addresses a well-known issue: using expensive missiles to destroy inexpensive kamikaze drones is economically unsustainable. As General Thierry Burkhard pointed out in 2023, eliminating a kamikaze drone with a traditional air defense missile often costs more money than the enemy spends.
Thus, LOAD drones offer a less costly solution. Each unit can destroy up to three enemy drones per mission, making it an effective weapon against massive attacks by drone swarms. Additionally, since they can be recovered and reused, the overall cost of their deployment should be reasonable.
Technology Adaptable to Existing Systems
Airbus presents the LOAD as a supplement to traditional air defense systems like the Patriot or IRIS-T. It is also designed to operate alongside reconnaissance drones like the Eurodrone, particularly in areas poorly covered by ground radars.
The development of LOAD is entirely European, which allows it to avoid the American ITAR restrictions that often complicate the export of military technologies. This could make it an appealing option for countries looking to bolster their air defense without relying on American components.
Deployment Planned by 2027
A first prototype of LOAD, equipped with two guided missiles, is expected to fly by the end of 2025. The goal is to achieve operational service entry by 2027. For now, the exact cost of the embedded missiles remains undetermined, but Airbus is still betting on an affordable and effective solution to counter the new threats posed by kamikaze drones, which are currently a hot topic.