“MBDA Launches Innovative ‘One-Way’ Drone to Tackle Cutting-Edge Air Defense Systems”
MBDA has introduced a novel one-way effector drone crafted to provoke and unveil adversary air defense systems for subsequent assaults. Unveiled at the 2025 Paris Air Show, this cutting-edge drone is designed to be an essential element in contemporary long-range strike operations.
The drone is equipped with a 40-kilogram (88-pound) warhead, a size deliberately selected to compel enemy defense systems to engage and eliminate it. Fueled by a jet engine, it boasts a range of 500 kilometers (311 miles), allowing it to infiltrate deep into unfriendly territory. Engineered for salvo launches, the effector’s primary objective is to disclose the locations of enemy systems and disrupt their multilayered defenses.
MBDA remarked, “The latest effector aims to compel even the most advanced air defenses to reveal their positions, making them simpler to detect and neutralize, alongside other long-range strike platforms.”
Mass Production and Insights from the Ukraine Conflict
This innovative saturation drone directly implements lessons gleaned from the situation in Ukraine, where the extensive deployment of low-cost drones has emerged as a vital component of high-intensity combat.
To facilitate mass production, MBDA is partnering with drone and automotive manufacturers. This tactical collaboration capitalizes on civilian supply chains and industrial practices to swiftly enhance production, representing a significant shift from conventional, often sluggish, weapon manufacturing approaches. This transition enables rapid, high-volume output to meet pressing operational requirements.
MBDA disclosed that this new production model could yield up to 1,000 effectors monthly. “MBDA has already proven its capability to scale up, and continues to adjust through the creation of new effectors that fulfill the need for mass, thanks to distinctive partnerships with the civilian sector,” stated MBDA CEO Eric Beranger.
Flight trials for the new effector drone are scheduled to commence this autumn, with initial production deliveries expected by 2027.
