U.S. Develops Acoustic-Guided System to Intercept FPV Drones

The U.S. company Talon Avionics has developed an active defense system that uses interceptor drones with acoustic guidance to counter FPV drones.

The Defence Blog reported on this.

According to the media, the company introduced a new drone interception system called SECTR. It is an autonomous platform capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing aerial threats using AI-powered acoustic sensing. Talon Avionics describes it as a fundamentally new approach to protecting airspace from the rapidly growing threat posed by low-cost FPV drones.

The SECTR system is built around a modular launch platform, the SECTR-IK-02 interception station, which can support up to 100 launch tubes with interceptor drones and is operated from a single control station.

The platform can be mounted on a vehicle or deployed in a stationary configuration, making it suitable for convoy escort, protection of forward operating bases, and critical infrastructure.

Each interceptor, together with its launch tube, weighs 700 grams and measures 100 × 100 × 250 mm. In a configuration with 100 interceptors, the system can operate for up to 24 hours on a single charge and is rated for temperatures ranging between −40°C and +85°C.

At the core of SECTR’s architecture is a detection suite that combines a proprietary acoustic sensing system with integrated conventional radar. The acoustic array can detect targets at distances of up to 100 meters by identifying the sound signatures of drone motors – even those not yet visible on radar. The radar, in turn, provides airspace surveillance starting from distances of 200 meters. The operational range is planned to be extended to 1,000 meters in the second quarter of 2027.

The interceptor drone itself is equipped with an array of 16 microphones. It scans the airspace in all directions, forming a narrow acoustic “beam” to search for the sound signatures of hostile drones. Once a confirmed target is acquired, the drone heads directly toward it. An onboard AI model enables it to distinguish the target drone’s sound from its own motor noise and wind, preventing false positives and ensuring precise guidance.

The claimed probability of a kill with a single interceptor is 95% or higher. The maximum speed is 135 km/h, and the flight endurance is up to 5 minutes. The system is designed to counter FPV drones and reconnaissance UAVs weighing up to 1 kg.

Talon Avionics states that its domestic production capacity can supply both the United States and allied countries, with the option to localize manufacturing.

Specialists in the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Research Center recently conducted the first test of an AH-64E Apache helicopter equipped with the Altius 700 loitering munition.

Anduril states that the Altius 700 has a range of up to 160 km, an endurance of up to 75 minutes, and a warhead weight of 15 kg.