Fortem conducts autonomous counter-drone swarm test using AI-powered SkyDome system

By Martin Chomsky (Defence Industry Europe)

Fortem Technologies said it has completed what it believes is the first fully autonomous five-versus-five drone intercept, in which every incoming drone was safely captured with no collateral damage. The U.S. company said the test shows its SkyDome system can counter coordinated drone swarms as attacks grow more complex and scalable.
Image: Fortem Technologies.

Fortem Technologies said it has completed what it believes is the first fully autonomous five-versus-five drone intercept, in which every incoming drone was safely captured with no collateral damage. The U.S. company said the test shows its SkyDome system can counter coordinated drone swarms as attacks grow more complex and scalable.

 

In the live demonstration, five DroneHunter F700 interceptors operated under the control of a single SkyDome system and intercepted five incoming drones flying pre-programmed autonomous attack missions. Fortem said SkyDome planned and coordinated all intercepts without any human involvement, marking what it described as the first coordinated autonomous engagement of this scale.

The company said the test highlights a new counter-swarm capability within its SkyDome Fixed Site Solution, achieving zero collateral effects while neutralizing multiple threats simultaneously. Demand for such systems has grown as conflicts like the war in Ukraine show how low-cost drones are increasingly used in coordinated and semi-autonomous formations.



“As hostile drone capabilities become more autonomous and scalable, defending against swarms is no longer a hypothetical challenge,” said Fortem Chief Executive 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 the company said represents a significant advance in autonomous decision-making, maneuvering, and reliability. Fortem noted that the platform’s maturity was underscored last month when the Pentagon’s counter-UAS task force selected DroneHunter for its first operational purchase under the Replicator-2 initiative.

Fortem also said the test validated new enhancements to SkyDome’s path-planning engine, allowing it to manage complex airspace constraints and coordinate multiple interceptors safely. According to the company, these improvements enable faster response times, greater operational scalability, and extended battery reserves without compromising safety.

 

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