Airbus’ Uncrewed Bird of Prey Interceptor Autonomously Engages Kamikaze Drone with Frankenburg Missile

The rapid proliferation of low‑cost, one‑way attack drones has forced militaries to rethink traditional air‑defence paradigms. Conventional fighter‑based interceptors are expensive and often over‑kill for small, fast‑moving threats. By pairing an autonomous UAV with ultra‑light, fire‑and‑forget missiles, Airbus and Frankenburg are creating a scalable solution that can be fielded in large numbers without straining budgets, offering a new defensive layer for forward operating bases and critical infrastructure.

Bird of Prey builds on Airbus’ Do‑DT25 airframe, featuring a 2.5‑metre wingspan and a 160‑kg take‑off weight, allowing it to carry up to eight Mark I missiles in its operational configuration. Each missile, at under 2 kg and 65 cm long, delivers a fragmentation warhead capable of neutralising a drone within a 1.5‑kilometre envelope. The system’s autonomous sensor suite can detect, classify and engage targets without human input, while remaining compatible with the Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS), ensuring seamless data exchange with NATO’s command‑and‑control networks.

Strategically, the Bird of Prey platform could reshape the economics of air‑defence by shifting the cost curve toward low‑price, high‑volume interceptors. This aligns with defence ministries seeking affordable solutions to counter swarming tactics in asymmetric conflicts. As Airbus schedules additional live‑warhead tests through 2026, potential customers—from NATO allies to smaller nations—will evaluate the platform’s ability to augment existing layered defence architectures, potentially accelerating procurement cycles and expanding the market for autonomous counter‑UAS technologies.