Company completes what is believed to be the first autonomous 5-vs-5 drone intercept with safe capture of every target, demonstrating scalable counter-swarm defense

Fortem Technologies, the global leader in airspace security and counter-drone solutions, today announced it has completed what it believes is the first autonomous 5-vs-5 drone intercept with safe capture of every target, demonstrating a scalable counter-swarm defense capability as hostile drone attacks grow increasingly coordinated.

In a live test, five DroneHunter^® F700 interceptors operating under the command of a single SkyDome^® system – Fortem’s AI-powered software platform for airspace awareness and drone engagement – intercepted and safely captured five incoming drones, each flying an autonomous, pre-programmed attack mission. SkyDome autonomously planned, sequenced, and coordinated all five intercepts, with no human involvement.

The demonstration represents what is believed to be the first coordinated 5-vs-5 autonomous drone engagement with zero collateral effects, showcasing a new counter-swarm capability of the SkyDome Fixed Site Solution.

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how rapidly small drones are evolving from individually piloted systems into coordinated and semi-autonomous formations. Operators on both sides are increasingly using groups of low-cost drones to conduct synchronized attacks, operate under electronic warfare conditions, and adapt tactics in real time in response to opposing defenses. That evolution is driving demand for counter-UAS systems capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing multiple threats simultaneously, rather than relying on single-target engagement or continuous manual control.

“As hostile drone capabilities become more autonomous and scalable, defending against swarms is no longer a hypothetical challenge,” said Fortem CEO Jon Gruen. “By demonstrating fully autonomous, multi-drone defense with safe, simultaneous intercepts, Fortem has shown that its leadership in counter-drone now extends to counter-swarm.”

The demonstration used Fortem’s fifth-generation DroneHunter F700 interceptor, which represents a clean break from earlier generations with step-change improvements in autonomous decision-making, maneuvering, and operational reliability. That maturity was underscored last month when the Pentagon’s counter-UAS task force selected DroneHunter as its first operational purchase under the Replicator-2 initiative, a fast-track program designed to accelerate the fielding of deployable counter-drone systems.

The test also validated new enhancements to SkyDome’s path-planning engine, which now accounts for complex airspace constraints and dynamically deconflicts multiple DroneHunters using a combination of airspace separation techniques. By minimizing time aloft while maximizing intercept efficiency, SkyDome enables faster response, extended battery reserves, and greater operational scalability – all without sacrificing safety.

About Fortem Technologies

Fortem Technologies is the global leader in airspace security, delivering advanced solutions that protect against today’s autonomous aerial threats while ensuring the safety of tomorrow’s advanced air mobility. Fortem’s AI-powered SkyDome® Family of Systems combines TrueView™ sensors, command-and-control software, and autonomous DroneHunter® interceptors to defend military, government, and commercial operations worldwide from hostile or unauthorized drones. Fortem is the only company authorized to deploy a drone-on-drone kinetic interceptor in U.S. airspace, and its technology has been validated in operational deployments in Ukraine, the Middle East, and East Asia. Headquartered in Lindon, Utah, Fortem is privately held and backed by Lockheed Martin, DCVC, Toshiba, AE Industrial Partners, AIM13, Signia Venture Partners, and others. To learn more, visit https://fortemtech.com.

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Fortem Technologies completed what it believes to be the first fully autonomous 5-vs-5 drone intercept, with its AI-powered SkyDome system safely coordinating all five captures without human involvement, amid growing concern over coordinated drone swarms.