Merops Counter-Drone System Gains Integration With Various Radars

The American Merops anti-drone system has gained the ability to receive data from a wide range of radar systems.

NATO said that during a demonstration in Poland, the US Army integrated the system with the Italian RPS-42 radar, confirming its high compatibility with different radar stations.

US officials said each drone costs about $14,500.

The United States has supplied dozens of Merops interceptors and ground control stations to Poland and Romania as part of Operation Eastern Sentry, a defensive mission launched after Russian UAVs violated Polish airspace on September 9.

The Merops system is considered one of the most promising C-UAS, or counter-drone, technologies.

Merops can be used both against long-range UAVs and to intercept enemy reconnaissance and strike drones near the front line.
The system is based on AS3 Surveyor air-defense drones.

Surveyor drones can operate autonomously or under remote control. They are equipped with sensors for tracking targets and carry a small warhead that is sufficient to destroy Shahed-type drones.

Each system includes a ground control station, launchers, and interceptor drones.

While the exact technical specifications have not been disclosed, the interceptor drone is known to exceed speeds of 280 km/h.

In Ukraine, the American Merops system has been in use for some time and has shot down more than a thousand Russian Shaheds.

During the exercises in Poland, standard pickup trucks were used to launch the drones, highlighting the system’s high mobility.