Drones cheaper than current defense systems
“We have an increasing threat from a new type of attack mechanism: the Shahed drones,” says co-founder Tom Rijntjes. “They are much cheaper and very suitable for saturating modern anti-aircraft defenses.” The programmer estimates that the Russians will pay around $50,000 to $100,000 for a Shahed drone.
An interceptor drone should cost about $5,000, which is considerably less than current alternatives. As an example, he mentions an incident from a few weeks ago, when twenty hostile drones flew into Polish airspace. “NATO’s response, with fighter jets, cost millions. That is of course not feasible when you have to deal with attacks on a large scale.”
How will a drone be shot out of the sky in the future?
“There are three steps,” Rijntjes explains. “First a Shahed must be spotted. In Ukraine there is an extensive radar system with various techniques to find them.” The program then estimates the trajectory of the enemy drone and sends an unmanned drone into the air. The last step, actually hitting the drone, is the most complicated, according to the programmer. “Preferably you hit the propeller or a wing, so that the drone crashes somewhere outside an urban area.”
To further develop the software, Trusk Technology will receive a loan of 350,000 euros from Innovation Fund North Holland. “In the current political situation, it is very important that companies are encouraged to help protect Europe,” said Ilmatar Lutje Schipholt, investment manager at the Innovation Fund. “Trusk stands out because it only focuses on the software side. We think it is better to specialize in one part than to not be good enough at the whole.”
When can the program be used?
“We are now testing in Dutch areas, but also on site in Ukraine,” says founder Lusink. He hopes that the Ukrainians will be able to start using the software within a few weeks. “Kyiv and Lviv are beautiful cities. Let us make sure that they are not destroyed.”