Video of a drone being shot down by Harp, a 61-centimetre-long, low-cost interceptor missile released by US defence startup Perseus Defense, has attracted attention. The missile has a range of approximately 2 kilometres, and the company reportedly aims to price each round at less than $10,000.
Video has been released showing a small missile flying in a straight line toward a drone hovering in the air and hitting it. According to people familiar with the matter, the missile is approximately 61 centimetres long, has a range of approximately 2 kilometres and is designed to cost less than $10,000 per round.
The backdrop is the worsening cost problem involved in countering drones on modern battlefields. Expensive interceptor weapons are often used to shoot down inexpensive drones, creating a cost imbalance that is viewed as a challenge.
Harp uses a direct-hit method to destroy its targets rather than electronic jamming. Perseus Defense participated in the US Armyʼs Golden Shield exercise in April this year and conducted a test at Yuma Proving Ground in September involving the installation of 8 launch tubes.
The footage is said to have been posted on social media on 2 November by company co-founder and CEO Jason Cornelius. The system remains at the development and testing stage, and its success rate in combat and mass-production cost have not been disclosed.
The release is viewed as one development in the competition to develop smaller, lower-cost interceptor weapons.