Fixed-wing interceptor dronecombat-provenpartial data
Merops (AS-3 Surveyor interceptor)
Surveyor, AS3 Surveyor, Merops
Truck-launched fixed-wing drone that chases down Shahed-type one-way attack drones and destroys them by ramming or a small warhead.
$15,000 Per interceptor. US Army Secretary Driscoll's figure (about $15,000 each, 13,000 bought within about eight days in 2026); he expects under $10,000 at scale. Army Recognition gives $14,500 to $15,000.
| Maker | Perennial Autonomy (formerly Project Eagle, an Eric Schmidt venture) |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| First combat | Ukraine, 2024 (combat testing) |
| Length | 0.9 m |
| Warhead | 2 kg |
| Top speed | 282 km/h |
| Max range | 20 km |
| Propulsion | Propeller-driven, pusher layout (engine type not published) |
| Guidance | Cued by external radar tracks (for example RPS-42); operator control or autonomous AI terminal homing on thermal, radio-frequency or radar signatures when links are jammed |
| Launcher | Launch rail or tube on a pickup truck bed; four-person crew |
US Army officials credit Merops with about 40% of Shahed kills in Ukraine and over 1,000 intercepts by late 2025; these are official but unaudited wartime claims. The 20 km range is a reported official figure of about 12.5 miles, and the 2 kg warhead is a reported 4.4 lb figure; the maker has not published a full spec sheet. Length is the 'three-foot' description, so treat it as approximate. Poland, Romania and the US Army (Middle East, 2026) operate it, and the Pentagon awarded Perennial a $500 million ceiling deal in May 2026.
Sources (14)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (name)
- Pentagon inks $500 million deal with Perennial Autonomy for counter-drone tech, Defense News, May 19 2026 (maker)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (first_combat)
- Merops (weapon), Wikipedia (length_m)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (warhead_kg)
- Romania to Deploy Low-Cost Counter-Drone System Proven in Ukraine, The Defense Post, Jan 23 2026 (speed_kmh_max)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (range_km)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (guidance_or_cueing)
- After drone breaches, NATO turns to Merops system for eastern flank defense, Stars and Stripes, Nov 18 2025 (launcher)
- Cheap Interceptor Drones Proven In Ukraine Protected U.S. Troops Against Iranian Shaheds, The War Zone, Apr 2026 (unit_cost_usd)
- U.S. Army Deploys Ukrainian Merops Anti-Drone System Against Iranian Shahed Drones in Middle East, Army Recognition, Mar 9 2026 (unit_cost_note)
- After drone breaches, NATO turns to Merops system for eastern flank defense, Stars and Stripes, Nov 18 2025 (status)
- Pentagon inks $500 million deal with Perennial Autonomy for counter-drone tech, Defense News, May 19 2026 (notes)
- Pentagon Deploys Merops Drone Interceptor System to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat, Inside Unmanned Systems, Mar 16 2026 (propulsion)
