"While the U.S. has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems to take down Iranian missiles successfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defenses now in the Middle East, according to a U.S. defense official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters."
"The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed."
"Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes. The Merops system is designed to spot them and take them down. Crucially, the system also is cheaper than firing a missile that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars at a drone that costs less than $50,000."
The United States is sending the Merops anti-drone system to the Middle East to strengthen defenses against Iranian drones. While Patriot and THAAD missile systems effectively counter Iranian missiles, no adequate anti-drone defenses currently exist in the region. The U.S. response to Iranian Shahed drones has been inadequate, particularly since these are basic versions of drones Russia continuously refines in Ukraine. Persian Gulf countries expressed concerns about insufficient preparation time for Iranian drone and missile attacks. Merops operates by deploying drones against drones, fits in a pickup truck, uses artificial intelligence to navigate through jammed communications, and costs significantly less than firing expensive missiles at inexpensive drones.
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