"Army Secretary Dan Driscoll stated that the interceptor drones are 'incredible' and currently cost about $15,000 each, with expectations to reduce costs to below $10,000 as production scales."
"The Merops system, which includes the Surveyor interceptor, is designed to effectively counter threats like Iran's Shahed drones by either colliding with them or exploding nearby."
"Merops can be operated by a small crew trained in days, and the Surveyor can be piloted using off-the-shelf Xbox controllers, making it accessible for troops."
"The Merops system has been successfully deployed in Ukraine, where it intercepted over 1,000 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia, demonstrating its effectiveness in real combat situations."
The US Army has purchased 13,000 interceptor drones for its Merops system since the start of Operation Epic Fury. Each drone costs approximately $15,000, with expectations of future reductions. The Merops system, designed to counter drone threats, utilizes the Surveyor interceptor, which can be launched from various platforms and employs AI for navigation. The system has already proven effective in Ukraine, intercepting over 1,000 enemy drones. The Army aims to maintain a cost-effective air defense strategy as drone warfare evolves.
Read at www.businessinsider.com
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