US and NATO troops practice drone-on-drone combat using a pickup truck

A U.S. Army exercise with NATO allies saw soldiers take out attacking drones by launching small interceptor drones from the back of a pickup truck.

Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment conducted the exercise with Polish and Romanian allies at Nowa Dęba Training Area in Poland following a joint two-week course which saw them learn to launch the small UAS interceptors with classroom instruction, simulations and drills.

The interceptor drones form the kinetic strike element of a mobile system that relies on electro-optical sensors and radar to hone in on incoming enemy drones.

All parts of the system can be packed and shuttled around easily in light tactical vehicles or, as was seen in the exercise, in the back of a truck. It can be quickly assembled and put into action by a crew of only four.

During the exercise, soldiers fired the drones to take out incoming small UAS — and were able to recover their drones for use in future exercises using parachutes.

However, the interceptor drones are designed to be used as expendable munitions. They are particularly efficient against one-way attack drones, also known as “suicide drones,” and have been fielded previously in Ukraine, according to a service release.

“It’s very lethal, very effective, but the key piece here is that it’s cost effective,” Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in the release, adding that the interceptor drones represent “the latest technology that’s being fought in Ukraine right now.”

The joint exercise was conducted in support of NATO’s Operation Eastern Sentry, a move by the alliance to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and particularly the air defenses of NATO countries in Eastern Europe in light of recent drone incursions.