California-based Mach Industries is putting next-gen counter-drone tech to work with Dart, a scalable system engineered to stop Group 1-3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS), from solo drones to full-scale swarms.
The surface-to-air solution combines custom ground radars with interceptors to detect and neutralize UAS threats as they approach.
It can be mounted on launch stations, military vehicles, and fixed structures, with operators able to deploy a single unit or scale up to “hundreds” to defend against coordinated drone swarms.
A suite of integrated sensors allows the system to autonomously cue interceptors, reducing human input and speeding response times.
According to Mach Industries, the system is designed to address a key challenge in modern air defense: keeping interception costs below the value of the threats themselves.
It also said Dart’s modular design enables it to evolve alongside emerging aerial threats and be produced at the “scale of millions” in the coming years.
Built for Speed and Scale
Dart’s production leverages Mach Industries’ Forge ecosystem, which brings design and manufacturing under one roof.
This setup enables rapid prototyping, quick design adjustments, and reduced reliance on vulnerable supply chains.
“We developed Dart by simulating against all known assets of adversarial nation-states,” the company stated. “Dart is vertically integrated to minimize cost while optimizing performance.”
The counter-drone platform is expected to enter active operational duty later this year.
