Sweden to start testing Kreuger 100 interceptor drone before sending it to Ukraine.

Nordic Air Defence plans winter flight tests of its Kreuger interceptor drone, followed by trials in Ukraine, according to company officials.

Nordic Air Defence confirmed in an interview with Defender Media that it will flight-test its Kreuger interceptor drones during winter 2025 before deploying them to Ukraine for operational trials against Shahed-type attack drones. The program aligns with a broader trend in air defense toward scalable interceptor drones designed to counter large numbers of low-cost aerial threats.
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The Kreuger could be used against Shahed-type drones (typically flying around 115 mph, about 185 km/h), as well as small and medium reconnaissance drones, such as the Russian Orlan. (Picture source: Nordic Air Defence)

In an interview with Defender Media on November 17, 2025, Dominic Surano, Nordic Air Defence (NAD)'s Director of Special Projects, confirmed that the Swedish start-up intends to flight-test its Kreuger interceptor drones during the winter period, then conduct trials in Ukraine with the stated aim of intercepting Shahed-type one-way attack drones. In the interview, Surano summarized the planned sequence as winter flight-testing, deployment to Ukraine, and continuous modification based on what users say works or fails. He also linked the effort to a broader 2025 trend in air defense, which he described as a year where interceptor drones became a central theme, and he framed the Kreuger 100 as a practical attempt to scale this approach for sustained use.

The Kreuger 100 is a lightweight, dual-use drone interceptor designed to address both military and civilian aerial threats by intercepting small drones before they strike critical assets. The Kreuger 100 uses a battery-powered propulsion combined with a pulsed propulsion system and software-defined flight control, replacing much of the conventional onboard hardware with advanced control algorithms and intelligent aerodynamics, reducing the cost and complexity of each unit. In its civilian configuration, the interceptor can reach speeds of up to 270 km/h (about 168 mph), with military variants expected to achieve higher speeds, and its modular design allows for mission-specific payloads and launcher configurations that are tailored to the specific operational environment and use case. This modularity, protected by three pending patents, is also linked by NAD to scalability, with the intent that Kreuger 100 can be produced in large numbers while still accommodating updates as threats and tactics evolve.

The Kreuger 100’s physical dimensions are compact, as the Kreuger 100 could be launched from handheld launchers, with open source indicating a relatively small size, roughly on the order of about 20 to 30 cm in length. The Kreuger 100 incorporates an infrared tracking system capable of operating around the clock, including in varied weather conditions such as cloud cover and at night, to help discriminate and pursue aerial targets. This tracking capability, paired with its software-centric architecture, manages target detection, classification, and engagement without reliance on expensive conventional sensors, cameras, or complex guidance hardware common in traditional interceptor missiles or drones. By steering the interceptor through controlled aerodynamics rather than costly mechanical components, the design aims to lower production cost by a factor of ten compared with standard interceptor systems or guided missiles.

The system’s software-centric control and pulsed propulsion are positioned to allow Kreuger 100 to manoeuvre toward its target using an embedded flight control algorithm rather than traditional inertial guidance and sensor suites, with infrared imagery and software used to track threat signatures continuously. This approach is intended to enable the interceptor to engage low-cost reconnaissance and attack drones at mid-altitudes before they reach their objectives, while keeping unit costs low enough that defence planners could consider fielding large quantities to handle swarm attacks or saturation scenarios without expending expensive missiles. The modular architecture also allows for different launcher systems and mission payloads, reflecting an emphasis on adaptability to evolving mission demands.

Recently appointed by NAD, Surano has more than 15 years of experience in the development of drones, including roles at General Atomics, Insitu, and Anduril Industries, where he led development of the Anvil quad-based kinetic interceptor. In the interview, he described work that went beyond vehicle design into deployment tasks such as telemetry integration, troubleshooting, and adapting systems in GNSS-denied environments, and he tied those experiences to how NAD is approaching the Kreuger concept. In discussing performance limits he associates with quadcopters, he contrasted speeds around 60 meters per second with a fixed-wing design target above 120 meters per second, presenting this shift as important for reaching a wider set of aerial threats. In his account, the pace of threat evolution is a key driver, and he argued production and iteration need to keep up with that tempo.

NAD’s near-term plan, as described by Surano, is to treat the first winter test period as the start of a rapid loop: fly the interceptor, collect feedback, adjust the design, and only then push output to high volumes. He described a manufacturing ambition measured in thousands and potentially tens of thousands of interceptors per month once changes are consolidated and a stable configuration is reached. To support that, he referenced supplier agreements that include profit-sharing mechanisms intended to align incentives, and he pointed to a Stockholm-based stealth start-up that has purchased a factory dedicated exclusively to drone production. In parallel, he said NAD is focusing on integrating into existing counter-drone stacks rather than rebuilding every layer, concentrating on kinetic and munitions-based interceptors while partnering for detection and command-and-control.

Nordic Air Defence is also developing a new variant, the Kreuger-100XR, positioned as a higher-performance interceptor within the Kreuger family. The company states that the XR’s propeller-driven configuration enables speeds above 220 mph, about 354 km/h, with an operational range of roughly 2 miles, about 3.2 km, at an altitude around 3,300 feet, about 1,006 meters. This range is described as short compared with traditional air defense systems, with affordability presented as the principal trade-off. While the exact unit price is not disclosed, it is characterized as a few thousand dollars, and a comparison is made with the $480,000 shoulder-fired Stinger, with the claim that three Kreuger-100XRs could cost less than a single Stinger, underscoring an emphasis on cost when facing large numbers of incoming drones.

Jens Holzapfel, NAD’s Director of Business Development, described the Kreuger-100XR as designed with simplicity in mind, as an individual could carry multiple Kreuger-100XRs in a backpack and launch them from a handheld device, either by throwing them like a dart or using a small catapult (but Holzapfel added that only someone with an exceptionally strong arm can throw it fast enough for an effective hand launch). Holzapfel also described how cost concentrates in two main areas: seeker options, such as a lower-cost laser seeker instead of a camera, and wings that allow loitering for at least 20 minutes before engaging a target, reducing the need for constant launches. The Kreuger is framed as part of a counterswarm approach, based on the idea that defending against drone swarms may require swarms of interceptors, with scalability presented as central to what is described as the economy of war.

Holzapfel said that the Kreuger's higher interceptor speed could support several interception options. These include intercepting drones during their terminal phase, and an approach where the interceptor could be launched from another airborne platform to attack from above, with the implication that higher speed can help offset the target’s motion and reduce time-to-intercept. On the industrial side, Holzapfel said NAD is finishing its prototyping phase and moving toward production, including an initial manufacturing setup in Sweden and the possibility of assembling on-site for foreign clients, giving the example that clients in Britain might want local assembly. He also described a supply chain goal with minimal dependence on single sources by using component manufacturers in Europe, North America, Japan, or South Korea, and he said NAD currently builds interceptors in an office environment with 3D printers, prototypes, and improvised test equipment such as a simple catapult made from metal poles and string.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.