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WDS 2026: Czech Firm UAC Unveils MACE Loitering Strike Drone for Precision Attacks in Contested Airspace.
Czech manufacturer UAC unveiled its new MACE loitering strike drone, an electric unmanned system built for reconnaissance and precision attack missions. The system reflects evolving battlefield realities, emphasizing endurance, encrypted communications, and resilience against electronic warfare in contested airspace.
At the World Defense Show held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Czech company UAC introduced its MACE unmanned aerial strike system, a compact electric platform designed to conduct reconnaissance and precision attack missions in contested environments. The presentation placed emphasis on endurance, encrypted communications, resistance to electronic warfare and the system’s ability to cooperate with other unmanned assets, reflecting current operational lessons observed in modern conflicts.
At the World Defense Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia, Czech company UAC unveiled its MACE loitering strike drone, highlighting a compact electric system designed for reconnaissance and precision attacks in electronically contested airspace (Picture Source Army Recognition Group)
MACE is designed as a portable loitering munition combining surveillance and strike functions within a single air vehicle. The system measures 1.38 meters in length and features a wingspan of 1.92 meters. With a maximum take-off weight of up to 11.7 kilograms, it is optimized for rapid deployment by small units. The drone is launched using a pneumatic catapult, enabling operations without prepared runways and limiting the logistical footprint required in forward areas.
Powered by an electric propulsion unit, MACE can reach speeds of up to 40 meters per second and operate at altitudes as high as 2,000 meters. The manufacturer indicates an endurance of up to 80 minutes, allowing crews to search for, identify and prosecute targets over extended distances. Wind resistance is rated up to 15 meters per second, while the temperature operating envelope stretches from –35 to +50 degrees Celsius, parameters intended to support use across a broad range of climates.
A central element of the MACE concept is its communications architecture. The telemetry and video transmission suite is built around a digital two-way encrypted channel. Using mesh networking, the system can operate at ranges of up to 100 kilometers and relay signals between drones, a feature that can extend coverage in complex terrain or urban areas. The platform is also described as suitable for coordinated reconnaissance-strike missions alongside other ISR assets.
Considerable attention is given to survivability in an electronically contested battlespace. UAC states that MACE integrates a dedicated anti-electronic warfare suite able to counter GPS and GLONASS jamming as well as navigation spoofing. If satellite navigation is denied, the drone can automatically switch to an inertial navigation system with an error-correction mode. Data links are protected through AES 128/256 encryption, aligning the system with requirements increasingly expressed by armed forces facing sophisticated EW threats.
Regarding lethality, MACE carries a warhead weighing up to 3.5 kilograms. The brochure specifies a combined cumulative-fragmentation design. Target engagement can be performed following operator command with capture and automatic tracking supported by computer vision, or by striking pre-programmed coordinates. Initiation occurs through an electro-detonator with autonomous control. Claimed effects include armor penetration of at least 200 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor and a thermobaric damage volume of 40 cubic meters.
The operational profile presented by UAC includes day and night employment, reconnaissance of enemy positions, destruction of infrastructure and armored vehicles, and high-precision attacks. The system is packaged in a transport box measuring 1,620 by 415 by 360 millimeters, underlining its portability and suitability for rapid movement between firing points.
UAC, formally U&C UAS s.r.o., is a Czech developer specializing in unmanned aerial technologies and strike solutions. Through products such as MACE, the company positions itself in the expanding segment of tactical loitering munitions where autonomy, networking and resilience to jamming have become decisive differentiators for potential customers.
The World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia has established itself as a venue where manufacturers seek to reach Middle Eastern and international delegations with systems adapted to contemporary operational requirements. The presence of platforms like MACE illustrates the continued demand for lightweight, deployable precision capabilities able to function despite electronic interference and without heavy infrastructure.
By bringing MACE to the exhibition, UAC highlighted a solution that merges reconnaissance, networking and kinetic effect within a single portable system. Its combination of encrypted long-range communications, autonomous navigation safeguards and selectable targeting modes reflects the direction in which many armed forces are evolving as they integrate loitering munitions more deeply into tactical formations.