Merops (weapon)

This article is about the counter-drone system. For other uses, see Merops.

Merops is a system for countering enemy unmanned aerial systems, or drones. It is being developed by the California-based Project Eagle, a venture of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

The Merops system consists of radar and electro-optical sensors, controller gear, and a drone launcher. The sensors detect and locate incoming drones, then pass targeting data to the interceptor or to other friendly systems.

Small enough to fit in the bed of a pickup truck, Merops launches a three-foot, fixed-wing, propellor-driven interceptor drone called "Surveyor" that flies at speeds up to 175 mph (282 km/h). The $15,000 interceptor can be controlled by a human operator or, when satellite and radio links are jammed or unavailable, autonomously home into its target using artificial intelligence and thermal, radio-frequency, or radar sensors. It can ram its target or carry a small warhead. If it misses its target, the interceptor can pop a parachute to return to earth for reuse.

It is operated by a four-person crew: commander, pilot, and two technicians. It is designed for ease of use; training takes just two weeks.

The Merops system is designed for short-range defense against larger drones, such as Iranian-designed, Russian-made Shaheds.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.