Modern warships can carry sophisticated air defenses, but inexpensive drones have created a difficult problem at the opposite end of the engagement range. FPV drones and loitering munitions can approach low, appear with little warning or attack simultaneously. Near ports and in narrow waterways, crews may have only seconds to react once a drone gets through longer-range defenses.
A new ship-mounted system called SCILT NAVAL is designed specifically for that final layer of protection. Developed by Mehler Protection, it combines detection, warning and close-range engagement equipment to counter unmanned aircraft operating in the immediate vicinity of a vessel.
The system is intended for threats including FPV drones, loitering munitions and other small UAVs. It can be deployed aboard different vessel types, including smaller craft that may lack extensive air-defense systems, and is also intended for operations around ports, floating infrastructure and amphibious forces.
It follows a three-stage process. Its sensors first detect an approaching aircraft and provide information for assessing the potential threat. The system then warns operators before moving to the engagement stage.
According to Interesting Engineering, for the final interception, it uses commercially available shotgun calibers rather than missiles. Different ammunition types can be selected according to operational requirements, including options offering different levels of impact and armor penetration. The principle is suited to short distances, where firing an expensive missile at a small drone may be impractical and reaction times are extremely short.
Compared with earlier versions of the technology, the naval configuration offers increased engagement range and automatic reloading, improving its ability to respond to repeated threats. Mehler says it is designed to handle both individual UAVs and coordinated multi-drone attacks.
Human operators remain responsible for deciding when to engage a target. Greater automation could be introduced later as certification requirements, regulations and operational procedures evolve.
The system can connect with a ship’s existing command-and-control architecture, allowing its detections to become part of the vessel’s broader defensive picture. Where integration is unavailable, it can function independently using its own sensors and effectors. Multiple control stations can also be positioned around a ship so operation does not depend on one location.
Developing equipment for use at sea introduces challenges that land-based systems do not necessarily face. Over an 18-month development program, it underwent 48 tests covering factors such as data transmission, ammunition behavior and engagement performance.
Testing also exposed the equipment to saltwater, vibration and other maritime stresses, while live evaluations helped determine suitable engagement distances for different targets.
It is scheduled to be unveiled at SMM 2026. Its role is deliberately narrow but increasingly important: if a drone survives the outer layers of a ship’s defenses, provide crews with one more opportunity to stop it before impact.
