Counter-UAS for the fleet: Royal Netherlands Navy retrofits warships with interceptor drones

Because drones pose a growing threat, the Royal Netherlands Navy is rapidly equipping its existing fleet with new counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems. Kinetic interceptor drones are being used: originally developed for use on land, they are now being adapted for operation at sea.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence signed the corresponding contract with the supplier on 24 August. The announcement does not reveal who is supplying the systems or what type they are.

The ministry cites an increasing threat from medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles as the background to the procurement. Operational analyses as well as the current threat situation in maritime operations had shown that warships need additional means to defend themselves effectively against drone attacks within a naval task group.

Counter-UAS with a kinetic effector

The new system is to destroy incoming drones by direct interception, thus providing a kinetic C-UAS capability. It consists of a base station and a launcher from which an interceptor drone is launched.

This adds a further layer of defence against unmanned threats to the existing armament of Dutch warships.

The development approach is particularly interesting: the Netherlands is using a C-UAS system originally designed for land-based use and adapting it for operational use at sea. While the introduction is under way, the capability is to be continuously developed in further trials.

The rapid retrofit of the existing fleet is intended not only to improve the ships' self-protection. With the new capability, the navy also wants to be able to better protect allied units within a naval task group against drone attacks.