A new Emirati system is emerging as a layered defense solution against drones, combining three hard-kill and one soft-kill mechanisms in one mobile setup.
Calidus recently presented its vehicle-mounted DAMITA, short for Drone Air Defense Integrated Tactical Architecture, built to neutralize unmanned aerial threats with a variety of weapons.
The system features a jammer with an omnidirectional antenna to disrupt drone signals up to five kilometers (3.1 miles) when stationary and three kilometers (1.9 miles) when on the move.
Hard-kill options include a Skyranger 35 turret from Rheinmetall, firing airburst munitions designed for swarming drones.
Electro Optic Systems added extra firepower to DAMITA, equipping it with a 30mm cannon with proximity-fused rounds and a high energy laser that can disable electronic components.
Eyes Open, Ears Out
DAMITA isn’t just about firepower. An IRIS 3D radar helps it distinguish real targets from birds or other objects within five kilometers (3.1 miles), even while traveling up to 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour.
A radiofrequency scanner from German firm Aaronia tracks signals from 20 kilohertz to 8 gigahertz, and when paired with a long-range antenna, extends detection to 80 kilometers (50 miles).
DAMITA’s Modern Brains
Monaco-based MARRS Group is powering DAMITA’s “mind” with an AI-powered command-and-control system.
It cuts the time required to confirm targets and ensures the optimal engagement option is deployed.
With DAMITA designed to work on armored vehicles, operators get access to a mobile command suite that improves their situational awareness on the battlefield.
Calidus officially introduced the counter-drone solution at the 2025 Dubai Airshow.
