DSEI 2023: UK company launches new manportable kinetic C-UAS system

Displayed at DSEI 2023 is MARSS' Interceptor (left) and the new manportable variant – Interceptor Short Range (right). (Janes/Olivia Savage)

UK company MARSS has developed a manportable version of its vertically launched, reusable kinetic counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS).

Known as the Interceptor Short Range (SR), the solution still utilises kinetic force and four motors to defeat small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) but weighs less than half the size compared with the original solution, Stephen Scott, head of Countermeasures at MARSS, told Janes at DSEI 2023, held from 12 to 15 September in London.

According to Scott, the lightweight system is available in a manportable or vehicle-mounted configuration, weighs just 1.5 kg, and has a 30–40 cm wingspan. This is compared with the original system that weighs 10 kg and has a 90 cm wingspan.

He added that the weight of the original Interceptor has since been reduced to 8.5 kg and that foldable open propellers will be developed for the SR variant to reduce its wingspan to around 18 cm.

Due to the reduced size of the SR variant, the system is only able to defeat class 1 UAVs and has a range of just over 1 km. While this is reduced compared with the larger system, customers told the company that for dismounted infantry, this would be more than adequate.

Launching the SR variant is achieved with a compact launcher, much like a missile launcher, which is fitted with an advanced optics sight integrated with the company's NiDAR C-UAS command-and-control solution. This enables the launcher to identify and track the target before deploying the Interceptor. The Interceptor is also fitted with NiDAR, he added.