Diehl Defence has teamed up with Skysec to develop a drone interceptor. Diehl works with Skysec’s subsidiary, Skysec Defence, to modify the original civilian-oriented net-arresting interceptor into a hard-kill system suitable for military missions. Armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of Armaments, backs the program. Sky Sphere has undergone initial test flights without a live warhead. According to company sources, the system could be matured within 18-24 months.
Earlier this month, Diehl displayed an innovative C-UAS system called ‘Sky Sphere.’ Using a kinetic effector designed specifically for this mission, this system complements other air defense capabilities by engaging small, slow, and low-flying targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, one-way attack drones, and multi-rotors.
The weapon relies on target data from a radar or EO system that detects, classifies, and tracks the flying object as hostile. Launched from a container/launcher, the interceptor accelerates toward the target through the midcourse flight, flying at a 200 km/h speed using the high RPM electrical engine. Reaching the target vicinity, it activates its active RF seeker to maneuver the end game.
Onboard battery power supports 4-5 minutes of flight at this speed, enabling successful engagements beyond five kilometers, close in, and maneuver toward the target to engage it head-on. The high-explosive fragmenting warhead is optimized to defeat soft targets such as OWA UAVs within a 10-meter sphere. The seeker is at the front, followed by the rotor, engine, power source, and electronic circuitry. The warhead is situated at the rear end of the airframe, optimizing the lethal effect of a relatively small charge on the target.
The original (non-kinetic) interceptor developed by Skysec utilized a net and parachute to neutralize a small drone flying over a restricted area, such as an airfield, with minimal collateral risk. At a length of 700 mm and diameter of 300 mm, it weighs 1.8 kg and flies at a maximum speed of 65 m/sec (235 km/h). Its intelligent flight controller manages complex customized flight plans like take-off, cruise, terrain follow, and object avoiding, along with interception of moving targets and planning the intercept within a safe zone.
