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Airbus has trialed a jet-powered interceptor drone equipped with missiles developed by defense startup Frankenburg Technologies to counter one-way attack drones. The companies highlighted the system as an affordable approach to tackling this growing threat.
During its initial demonstration at a military training site in northern Germany, the reusable “Bird of Prey” interceptor drone carried out a mission under realistic conditions. According to a joint statement, the drone autonomously identified, tracked, and classified a mid-sized one-way attack drone before successfully engaging it using Frankenburg’s Mark I air-to-air missile.
Recent conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, have exposed the difficulty of defending against inexpensive one-way drones such as Iran’s Shahed systems. These low-cost weapons are often far cheaper than the advanced missiles used to intercept them, prompting Western defense organizations to seek more economical alternatives instead of relying solely on limited, high-end air-defense systems.
Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, emphasized that countering kamikaze drones has become an urgent tactical requirement. He described the Airbus–Frankenburg solution as a practical and cost-effective interceptor that helps address a critical capability gap in modern asymmetric warfare.
The Bird of Prey platform is derived from Airbus’s jet-powered Do-DT25 target drone, which can reach speeds of up to 300 knots (approximately 555 km/h). By pairing this drone with lightweight missiles, the system aims to make large-scale interception more financially viable. Frankenburg noted that a single reusable interceptor can handle multiple engagements, significantly lowering the cost per interception. The integration of the missile system onto the Airbus platform was completed within nine months.
The prototype drone features a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 160 kilograms. In testing, it carried four Mark I missiles, while the operational version is expected to accommodate up to eight.
Frankenburg CEO Kusti Salm described the development as a major milestone in air defense, highlighting it as the first instance of a new category of low-cost, mass-producible interceptor missiles being deployed on a drone platform. He said this innovation could reshape the economics of air defense and improve the ability to counter large-scale aerial threats.
The Mark I missile itself is a high subsonic, fire-and-forget system with a range of up to 1.5 kilometers. Measuring 65 centimeters in length and weighing under 2 kilograms, it is among the lightest guided interceptors developed so far. It is fitted with a fragmentation warhead for target neutralization.
Looking ahead, Airbus and Frankenburg plan additional test flights in 2026, including trials with live warheads, as they move toward operational deployment and showcase the system to potential customers. The Bird of Prey is also designed to integrate into NATO’s air-defense network through Airbus’s battle management system, enhancing its role in coordinated defense operations.
