Three NATO Nations Combine Technologies in New Modular Counter-UAS Vehicle for Emerging Drone Warfare Challenges.

Three NATO defense companies have combined their technologies into a new modular counter-drone vehicle unveiled at Eurosatory 2026, a development highlighted at Kongsberg’s exhibition that reflects the growing urgency of protecting forces against increasingly capable unmanned aerial threats. By integrating detection, electronic attack, surveillance, navigation, and kinetic engagement systems on a highly mobile platform, the vehicle offers a layered battlefield response to drones targeting troops, convoys, bases, and critical infrastructure.

Built on the Defenture Mammoth 4x4 tactical vehicle, the system combines Robin Radar’s IRIS drone-detection radar, Safran’s electronic warfare and sensor suite, and Kongsberg’s RS6 remote weapon station armed with a 30 mm cannon. The architecture provides both soft-kill and hard-kill options against hostile drones, illustrating NATO’s broader push toward interoperable, mobile counter-UAS capabilities designed for contested and drone-saturated combat environments.

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A multinational team of Dutch, Norwegian, and French defense companies unveiled a mobile counter-drone vehicle at Eurosatory 2026 that combines radar detection, electronic warfare, advanced surveillance, resilient navigation, and a 30mm cannon to defeat emerging unmanned aerial threats (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

At Eurosatory 2026, a new Modular Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Vehicle was presented at the Kongsberg booth, highlighting an international industrial collaboration between leading defense companies from three NATO member states: Defenture and Robin Radar Systems from the Netherlands, KONGSBERG from Norway, and Safran Electronics & Defense from France. Designed to respond to the growing operational threat posed by unmanned aerial systems, the vehicle combines mobility, radar detection, electro-optical surveillance, resilient navigation, electronic warfare, and kinetic engagement capabilities within a single mobile platform.

The system is based on the 4x4 Mammoth tactical mobility vehicle developed by Dutch company Defenture. Already fielded by various NATO countries, the Mammoth provides the mobility layer of the configuration and enables the integration of several mission systems on a compact tactical platform. Its role in the architecture is essential, as counter-UAS missions increasingly require systems able to move with deployed forces, protect convoys, secure forward operating bases, and respond rapidly to drone threats near critical infrastructure or battlefield positions.

The Dutch contribution also includes the IRIS radar from Robin Radar Systems, which provides the vehicle’s primary aerial detection capability. Presented as a combat-proven UAS radar, IRIS offers a detection range of up to 5 km and can detect smaller commercial drones, including a DJI Phantom-type target, at distances of up to 3.4 km. This radar layer gives the crew early warning and tracking capability against low-flying unmanned threats, which are often difficult to identify with conventional ground surveillance systems due to their small size, low altitude, and reduced radar signature.

Norway’s role in the system is represented by KONGSBERG’s RS6 Remote Weapon Station, which provides the vehicle’s hard-kill response. The RS6 is armed with a 30x113 mm cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, offering a last line of defense against drones that cannot be neutralized through electronic means or that continue their approach despite jamming or spoofing attempts. This kinetic layer reflects lessons from recent conflicts, where armed forces have faced both modified commercial drones and more complex unmanned systems operating in dense and contested environments.

France contributes several key systems through Safran Electronics & Defense, including the JIM Compact and NIGHTWOLF multispectral observation devices, the ROS3 pan-and-tilt head, the GEONYX inertial navigation system, the VERSASYNC rugged GPS master clock, the TIGR PNT GNSS receiver, and the SKYJACKER electronic warfare system. The observation systems, mounted with a telescopic mast, support target identification and day-night surveillance, while GEONYX, VERSASYNC, and TIGR provide positioning, navigation, orientation, and synchronization functions, including in GNSS-denied or degraded environments.

The SKYJACKER system adds an electronic attack layer to the vehicle by providing GNSS spoofing capabilities with a flexible operational range of up to 30 km. This allows the platform to interfere with the navigation of hostile drones before they reach the protected area. Combined with radar detection, multispectral observation, inertial navigation, and the RS6 weapon station, SKYJACKER contributes to a layered counter-UAS architecture in which soft-kill and hard-kill options are available depending on the threat, the rules of engagement, and the operational environment.

The Modular Counter-UAS Vehicle also reflects a broader trend in NATO defense cooperation. Instead of relying on a single national solution, the platform combines complementary technologies from three allied countries: Dutch mobility and radar expertise, Norwegian remote weapon station technology, and French electronic warfare, navigation, and electro-optical systems. This multinational approach can support interoperability among allied forces while reducing development timelines by integrating mature subsystems already developed by established defense manufacturers.

The presentation of the Modular Counter-UAS Vehicle at Kongsberg’s booth underlines the increasing importance of mobile, layered, and interoperable counter-drone systems for NATO armed forces. By combining technologies from the Netherlands, Norway, and France, the platform offers a modular response to emerging drone warfare challenges, from small commercial quadcopters to more complex unmanned threats. As drones continue to reshape modern military operations, such multinational solutions are likely to play a growing role in the protection of deployed forces, critical infrastructure, and high-value military assets.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.