The mini drone interceptors that could revolutionise the 'hybrid war' with Russia

An innovative defence technology company has created groundbreaking drone interceptors to protect European civilian infrastructure against the burgeoning threat from Russia. Karl Rosander established Nordic Air Defence in 2023, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and was shocked to discover the lack of cooperation among European defence industries.

He told the Express: "We started Nordic Air Defence with the belief that we could be part of changing an industry that needs to change rapidly due to the new type of war in Ukraine. We are in a war, but it's a hybrid war, so we must find something that is effective and that we can scale in mass." It was this need for quick innovation that led Mr Rosander and his Stockholm-based team to devise drone interceptors that are immune to signal disturbances at a fraction of the price of their rivals.

Similar technology is often susceptible to spoofing attacks-a malicious technique that sends a fake radio signal to a receiver to counteract and override the legitimate signal.

However, Nordic Air Defence's technology "can't be interrupted by GPS spoofing or any radio signal jamming", Mr Rosander said.

This is vital during the "hybrid war" with Russia, he explained, as the country has been accused of nearly 100 interference campaigns since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

In September, Bulgaria made the surprising decision not to investigate suspected Russian electronic interference in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane, because these incidents have become so common.

While Russia maintains that its actions are aimed at protecting key cities and military infrastructure, officials have warned that continued spoofing could have potentially disastrous effects across Europe.

This is where Nordic Air Defence comes in. Its interceptors, which cost 10 times less than their closest competitors, are set to go into production next year and could end up in the hands of governments, militaries, and police forces.

Described by the CEO as "electric precision air defence interceptors", they are designed to integrate with existing defence systems and protect critical infrastructure, such as airports and power plants.

The interceptors receive location coordinates from radar or other detection systems and autonomously fly towards the target threat, which could be a drone or other aerial threat.

In the last 500 meters, they use onboard AI-powered sensors to detect and identify the specific threat, ensuring it engages the correct target.

They can be configured with different capabilities, depending on the desired use, such as extended range, warheads for military use, or protection of civilian infrastructure.

Last month, mere weeks after the jamming attack on Ms von der Leyen's plane, unidentified drones entered the airspace above multiple Scandinavian countries, sparking travel chaos.

Five airports in Denmark and one in Norway were disrupted over the course of a week when the mysterious aircraft were spotted overhead.

The incident resulted in 109 flight cancellations at Copenhagen Airport and 51 diversions. At Oslo Airport, 19 flights were cancelled and 11 were diverted.

Mr Rosander is confident that, had these countries possessed his drone interceptors, they could have prevented this disruption.

While he powers forward to get his groundbreaking technology integrated into defence industries across Europe, he expressed frustration at the lack of urgency from politicians in the face of growing threats.

Mr Rosander added: "We move so much faster than the traditional old existing arms industry or defence industry ... [But] three years into the war in Europe, politicians were still just talking, no action, so that was really frustrating for us.

"Even if politicians want it [the interceptors], they are not prepared. It's a problem of speed and how to handle the fast-moving defence tech companies within Europe. There has to be action, not talking."