X-Bow has unveiled a new interceptor that can take on Group 3 drones capable of supersonic flight, and it costs less than $100,000 to make apiece.
The “Buckler” system is described as the New Mexico-based firm’s response to asymmetric warfare, where militaries often expend “million-dollar interceptors against thousand-dollar threats.”
By manufacturing Buckler’s airframe and propulsion system in-house, X-Bow is able to bring down production costs to just a fraction of conventional air defense systems.
The approach also shortens production timelines by reducing reliance on external suppliers and minimizing supply chain bottlenecks.
X-Bow described its manufacturing process as a “rocket factory in a box,” using containerized, deployable production infrastructure that can be established closer to where systems are needed.
According to the company, the Air Force Research Laboratory-certified production infrastructure has already supplied critical defense components for other US government programs.
Public Debut
Buckler made its public debut at the Farnborough International Airshow after completing initial flight tests, with X-Bow saying the successful testing prompted the Pentagon to request a briefing on the interceptor.
The company is expected to showcase Buckler again at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in August.
“Adversaries are fielding cheap drones at scale. Countering them affordably, in volume, is one of the hardest challenges in defense today,” X-Bow said in a social media post. “X-Bow is answering that call.”
