Interceptor drone Blaze: Riga-based Origin Robotics unveils autonomous interceptor

Riga-based Latvian start-up Origin Robotics has presented an autonomous interceptor against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The interceptor drone for counter-UAS (C-UAS) is called Blaze and is intended to close gaps in ground-based air defence.

Drones have fundamentally changed modern warfare: they shape battlefield strategies and shift the balance of power. Their widespread use in Ukraine in particular has shown how effective they are and how expensive it is to counter them.

Russia deployed more than 2,500 drones over Ukrainian territory in January 2025 alone, an average of 80 per day. For Origin Robotics, this escalation shows how urgently advanced yet cost-efficient air defence solutions are needed.

How the interceptor drone works

The portable, rapidly deployable interceptor is designed to counter fast-moving aerial threats, including loitering munitions and hostile UAV. Radar-based detection is combined with AI-supported computer vision, enabling autonomous target acquisition, while the interception itself is authorised by the operator. A high-explosive (HE) fragmentation warhead is intended to eliminate threats precisely and effectively, even in contested environments.

Blaze detects, acquires and tracks targets independently, relying on radar tracking and AI-supported computer vision. Once the operator authorises the attack, a precisely calculated approach follows: the target is either destroyed by direct impact or neutralised in the air by a detonation in its immediate vicinity.