The world of anti-drone technologies is diverse, ranging from small-caliber high-caliber guns, interceptor drones, guided rockets, small, inexpensive missiles, to laser weapons. But which one is more cost-effective?
In a recent incident, a US F-16V fighter jet launched a guided rocket with the “Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II” (APKWS II) package, successfully shooting down a Houthi rebel drone in Yemen. The US Marine Corps is currently planning to add fire-and-forget guidance options to the APKWS system, including infrared guidance.
Developed by the British BAE Systems company based on the US military’s most commonly used 70mm Hydra rocket, the APKWS II rocket weighs around 16 kilograms, has a maximum range of 5 kilometers, and boasts a strike accuracy within 2 meters. The cost of this rocket is only between $15,000 to $20,000, compared to the Hellfire missile, which also uses laser semi-active guidance and costs around $70,000, or the Longbow Hellfire missile with millimeter-wave radar guidance, which costs over $100,000.
In another development, the US Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade conducted live-fire anti-drone training in late January in Hawaii using the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), successfully destroying multiple simulated aerial targets. MADIS utilizes 30mm guns and Stinger missiles to counter low-altitude, small, slow aerial threats like drones and cruise missiles, serving as the Corps’ new ground-based short-range air defense equipment.
On the battlefield in Ukraine, the German-made Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun from the Cold War era has shown remarkable performance in combating the intensive drone attacks by Russian forces, gaining significant attention. Witnessing the effectiveness of the Gepard in countering drones, Germany has now started to consider equipping new self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
In February 2024, Germany procured 19 Rheinmetall’s Sky Assault 30 self-propelled anti-aircraft systems. By the end of January this year, Rheinmetall delivered the first boxer dog armored vehicle equipped with the Sky Assault 30 air defense system for evaluation before full production. The Sky Assault 30 system features a 30mm programmable gun as its main weapon and can also incorporate Stinger missiles to engage small slow-moving aerial targets like drones and cruise missiles.
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