Fortem Technologies has announced the completion of what it describes as the first autonomous five-versus-five drone intercept, in which multiple interceptor drones safely captured incoming aircraft during a live test.
According to the company, five DroneHunter F700 interceptors operated under a single SkyDome command system to intercept five drones flying pre-programmed attack missions. Fortem said each target was captured without collateral effects, demonstrating a potential approach to countering coordinated drone activity.
Groups of low-cost drones are being deployed to conduct synchronized attacks and operate in contested electronic environments, driving demand for counter-UAS systems capable of engaging multiple threats simultaneously.
“As hostile drone capabilities become more autonomous and scalable, defending against swarms is no longer a hypothetical challenge,” said Fortem CEO Jon Gruen. “By demonstrating fully autonomous, multi-drone defense with safe, simultaneous intercepts, Fortem has shown that its leadership in counter-drone now extends to counter-swarm.”
The demonstration featured the company’s fifth-generation DroneHunter F700 interceptor, which Fortem said includes improvements in autonomous decision-making, maneuverability, and operational reliability compared with earlier models. The announcement follows the selection of DroneHunter by the Pentagon’s counter-UAS task force as its first operational purchase under the Replicator-2 initiative, a program intended to accelerate the deployment of counter-drone capabilities.
Fortem added that the test also validated updates to SkyDome’s path-planning engine, designed to manage complex airspace constraints and coordinate multiple interceptors while maintaining separation. The approach is intended to reduce time aloft, preserve battery life and support scalable operations.
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