Mehler Protection in Germany has unveiled the SCILT Naval active counter-drone system, envisioned as a new way for maritime forces to defend against close-range threats. The system is positioned as a last line of defence against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that larger air defence solutions cannot immediately respond to.
It utilizes three alert levels spanning detection, approach, and engagement, and is capable of deploying a wide range of armor-piercing, fragmentation, or shotgun rounds to take down inbound threats. SCILT Naval is also integrated with a suite of sensors and operating controls, with various electro-optical systems available for more immediate threat detections.
The company said the system is compatible with existing command-and-control networks but can also autonomously use its own detection and engagement capabilities if no suitable interface is available.
Naval crews can install additional control and display methods in multiple locations inside a vessel, giving them the versatility to access tactical information and command whenever required.
While initially offered as a human-in-the-loop system, Mehler Protection is said to be planning an automated variant compliant with the certification and operational requirements of the German military.
The rapid proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has fundamentally reshaped the military threat landscape in recent years. What began as a niche capability for intelligence, reconnaissance and target acquisition has evolved into a broad spectrum of highly effective weapons systems that influence virtually every domain of modern conflict. This new normal is especially evident in the maritime domain.
Naval forces and individual naval vessels now face a threat characterised by low cost, widespread availability, diverse payload options and exceptional tactical flexibility. Recent conflicts have demonstrated that even heavily armed warships can be vulnerable to small, low-cost drone systems deployed in large numbers.
The threat extends well beyond the traditional use of armed drones.
Modern UAVs serve as intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) platforms, electronic interference assets, communication relays and carriers of kinetic and non-kinetic payloads. In particular, their ability to operate in swarms and conduct complex attacks is increasingly challenging conventional concepts of maritime defence.
Improving Legacy Systems
SCILT Naval is a maritime-based configuration of the legacy SCILT system, originally produced for engagements on land.
Similar to the naval variant, the land variant protects ground platforms from close-range drones attacking in lateral, frontal, and low angles. It features effectors strategically placed at different points to effectively provide complete 360-degree protection from UAVs.
Sources: The Defense Post; Mehler Protection