The Merops was previously tested and used in Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have relied on the system to destroy more than 1,000 Shahed drones, the report said.
“Several Eastern European countries have purchased and deployed the system,” the article added.
Merops was developed by the U.S.-based Project Eagle. The system includes a radar, a launcher, a ground control station, and an interceptor drone that costs about $15,000. The interceptor can reach speeds of more than 280 kilometers per hour and uses artificial intelligence to operate in environments with active electronic warfare. It destroys targets by a direct collision or proximity detonation.
“U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers in April that the service purchased thousands of interceptors after the Iran war began and said he hopes the price will drop below $10,000 apiece as production scales up,” Business Insider added.
The system requires a small crew and only a few days of
training. Operators use standard Xbox game console controllers.