Airbus Bird of Prey Interceptor Completes Successful First Flight and Drone Interception

Airbus Defence and Space has successfully demonstrated its Bird of Prey interceptor drone in a live mission scenario, marking a significant shift in the cost-dynamics of modern counter-UAS operations. During a demonstration at a military training facility in northern Germany, the interceptor autonomously detected and classified a medium-sized one-way attack drone.

Following identification, the Bird of Prey successfully engaged the target using a Mark I air-to-air missile, developed in partnership with defence tech start-up Frankenburg Technologies.

The project, which moved from inception to flight in just nine months, aims to address the growing threat of mass-produced kamikaze drones in asymmetric warfare. By pairing a reusable carrier with low-cost missiles, Airbus is looking to solve the dilemma currently facing Western air defences regarding the high cost of traditional interceptors.

Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technologies, noted that the integration marks a new class of low-cost, mass-manufacturable interceptor missiles, creating a new cost curve for air defence and enabling protection against mass aerial threats at a fundamentally different scale.

The Bird of Prey prototype is built upon a modified Airbus Do-DT25 target drone platform. It features a 2.5-metre wingspan, a length of 3.1 metres, and a maximum take-off weight of 160 kg. While the prototype was equipped with four Mark I air-to-air missiles, the operational version is expected to carry up to eight.

These high-subsonic, fire-and-forget missiles have an engagement range of up to 1.5 kilometres, measure 65 centimetres in length, and weigh less than 2 kg each, making them the lightest guided interceptors developed to date.

Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, emphasised that defending against kamikaze drones is a tactical priority that urgently needs to be tackled. He stated that the Bird of Prey and Frankenburg’s affordable Mark I missiles provide armed forces with an effective, cost-efficient interceptor that fills a crucial capability gap.

The system is designed to operate within NATO’s integrated air defence architecture via Airbus’ Integrated Battle Management System, allowing it to act as a highly mobile and complementary building block of any layered air and missile defence solution. Airbus and Frankenburg plan to conduct additional flights with a live warhead throughout 2026 to further operationalise the system for potential customers.