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By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick      Published  Oct 14, 2026 5:03 PM EDT     (army-explains-how-merops-interceptor-drone-became-program-of-record-in-just-142-days.html#comments)    0           (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=twz.com) Add TWZ (opens Google in a new window or tab)      More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.        (An interception drone of the American MEROPS counter drone system is seen during tests at the Nowa Deba military training ground, south-eastern Poland, on November 18, 2025.)   Photo by WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images    The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   (handle_newsletter_email_submission) (704ecc1ad8)  (/news-features/army-explains-how-merops-interceptor-drone-became-program-of-record-in-just-142-days)  (TWZInline) (0) Email address  (Enter your email) (Please enter a valid email address)  Sign Up  Thank you!      (https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) Terms of Service and(https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/) Privacy Policy        The U.S. Army turned the Merops interceptor drone into a formal program in just 142 days, an acquisition milestone that highlights efforts to speed the service’s response to emerging threats and get (https://www.twz.com/land/cheap-interceptor-drones-proven-in-ukraine-protected-u-s-troops-against-iranian-shaheds) combat-proven capabilities into the hands of troops and allies. The Merops (https://www.twz.com/land/cheap-interceptor-drones-proven-in-ukraine-protected-u-s-troops-against-iranian-shaheds) soon won accolades for its role in defending against (https://www.twz.com/news-features/retired-patriot-battalion-commander-on-the-challenges-of-defeating-irans-barrages) Iranian barrages of (https://www.twz.com/irans-jet-powered-shahed-drone-could-be-a-problem-for-ukraine) Shahed-136 one-way attack munitions in the Middle East. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual convention in Washington, D.C., where TWZ is in attendance, Col. Christopher Hill, director of the Army’s (https://pit.army.mil/about/gtead/) Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), described the Merops effort as “an example of how we can move fast when we need to.” (Polish soldier from 18th Anti-Aircraft Regiment is packing the parachute for the MEROPS T3 drone near Lipa, Poland, Nov. 15 2025. The intensive 20-day multinational Train-the-Trainer course rapidly qualified 20 students from Poland, Romania, and the U.S., most with no prior military drone experience, in a battle-tested C-UAS system through classroom, practical flight, and night operations, culminating in a successful live-fire demonstration to destroy a jet powered drone, thereby accelerating the fielding of this critical capability along the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line. As the battlefield evolves, we are leveraging U.S. experience and NATO authorities to solve problems for the Alliance. The training occurring at Lipa shows how Allies like Poland and Romania are rapidly procuring and employing systems that are battle-tested in Ukraine to strengthen the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line. This is the EFDL in action.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Luis Garcia, 52d ADA Bde))  A Polish soldier packing the parachute for a Merops drone near Lipa, Poland, in November 2025. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Luis Garcia, 52d ADA Bde   The Merops is a small, relatively low-cost counter-UAS system designed to rapidly intercept long-range, one-way attack drones in flight. It was originally developed under the U.S.-backed Project Eagle initiative, with contributions from Swift Beat, a company associated with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The system uses Surveyor drones as airborne interceptors, with onboard sensors to track targets and the ability to operate autonomously or under remote control. The interceptors can destroy enemy unmanned aircraft through direct impact or a proximity-detonated explosive warhead. The interceptor was initially brought to the Army’s attention after (https://www.twz.com/air/poland-says-russias-mass-drone-incursion-was-a-test-as-it-closes-airspace-on-border) drone incursions involving two NATO partners prompted a senior commander to demand an urgent response. The system was not part of the commander’s original acquisition plan, Hill explained, but its (https://www.twz.com/land/cheap-interceptor-drones-proven-in-ukraine-protected-u-s-troops-against-iranian-shaheds) demonstrated performance in Ukraine made it a compelling candidate. “He said, ‘I want this capability in the hands of our partners within 14 days,’” Hill recalled. “Everyone looked around the room, and he looked over at me, and I nodded my head like, ‘We’ll figure it out.’” The Army did not quite meet that deadline. Hill said acquisition personnel and soldiers went into the theater to evaluate the capability, ultimately getting it into the hands of NATO partners within approximately 21 or 22 days. (A new system to identify and take down Russian drones is deployed to NATO’s eastern flank thumbnail)  A new system to identify and take down Russian drones is deployed to NATO’s eastern flank       (A new system to identify and take down Russian drones is deployed to NATO’s eastern flank)   That initial effort has since expanded. Hill said the Army procured additional Merops systems in partnership with the Joint Interagency Task Force, which procured 13,000 of the interceptors. The effort also progressed from providing the capability to NATO partners to supplying mobile Merops firing teams to a second theater — presumably U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). In CENTCOM, the U.S. military has been confronting the threat posed by Iran’s (https://www.twz.com/air/russian-shahed-136-kamikaze-drones-now-carrying-manpads-missiles) Shahed-136 and other one-way attack drones, which have been used in barrages against American and allied forces and installations in the Middle East. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has previously highlighted Merops as a particularly attractive option for countering such threats because of its relatively low cost and the speed with which it can be acquired. You can watch Driscoll’s testimony on Merops at the 36-minute mark of the video belo w:  (Budget Hearing – The United States Army thumbnail)  Budget Hearing – The United States Army       (Budget Hearing – The United States Army)   During congressional testimony, Driscoll said the Army was able to purchase 13,000 Merops interceptors within approximately eight days after the conflict with Iran began. He put the cost at about $15,000 per interceptor, with the potential for that figure to fall below $10,000 as production scales. In a (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-13/us-sends-intercept-drones-used-in-ukraine-to-blunt-iran-strikes) separate interview with Bloomberg , he suggested larger orders could eventually push the price down to between $3,000 and $5,000. (U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, poses for a photo after signing a counter-unmanned aerial system April 30 in Ansbach, Germany. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Brig. Gen. John Mountford, deputy commanding general of V Corps, Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, commanding general of 7th Army Training Command, and their soldiers spoke on C-UAS that have been tested and implemented in the past year by 52d Air Defense Brigade and 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Kohrs).)  U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll poses for a photo after signing a Merops counter-unmanned aerial system in Ansbach, Germany. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Kohrs   Shahed drones (https://www.twz.com/news-features/what-does-a-shahed-136-really-cost) have been estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars apiece, while traditional air defense interceptors are far more expensive. Using comparatively inexpensive drones to defeat them can improve the economics of air defense while preserving more sophisticated interceptors for threats that require them. Ukraine has employed Merops alongside domestically produced interceptor drones to counter Russian (https://www.twz.com/news-features/russias-jet-powered-shahed-drones-are-quickly-evolving-as-ukraine-scrambles-to-blunt-their-damage) Shahed/Geran one-way attack drones. The system’s battlefield use has helped demonstrate the potential of a (https://www.twz.com/land/new-coyote-anti-drone-interceptor-swaps-jet-engine-for-rocket-power) new class of air defense weapons designed to defeat these kinds of drones without relying exclusively on costly surface-to-air missiles. (The thermal infrared targeting system of an AS-3 Merops displays a green target lock box milliseconds before intercepting a Hornet mid-range strike drone during a Perennial Autonomy drone demonstration for 2nd Marine Division on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 28, 2026. The Perennial Autonomy demonstration of the AS-3 Merops was part of a multi-day showcase that also displayed the abilities of the Bumblebee A1 quadcopter and the Hornet mid-range strike drone for 2nd Marine Division. (Courtesy photo illustration) This photo was cropped to emphasize the subject and remove sensitive display data for security purposes.)  The thermal infrared targeting system of a Merops displays a green target lock box milliseconds before intercepting a Hornet mid-range strike drone during a Perennial Autonomy drone demonstration for 2nd Marine Division on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 28, 2026. U.S. Marine Corps/Courtesy photo illustration   However, Hill cautioned that success in Ukraine does not automatically mean a system will perform equally well in every operational environment. “On the Merops, it absolutely was influenced by [Ukraine]. I mean, that’s where it came from. That’s where we saw the capability,” he said. “But that’s one of the things where the employment of the system really matters.” (A Merops drone is prepared for flight during a Perennial Autonomy drone demo on Range 220 as part of Service Level Training Exercise 4-26 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 28, 2026. SLTE 4-26 is designed to be a challenging, realistic training environment that produces combat-ready forces capable of operating as an integrated Marine Air Ground Task Force across all domains of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Carla Perez Ramirez))  A Merops drone is prepared for flight during a Perennial Autonomy drone demo on Range 220 as part of Service Level Training Exercise 4-26 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 28, 2026. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Carla Perez Ramirez   Hill noted that the system’s effectiveness will vary depending on where it is used, including differences between desert environments and the urban areas where it has operated in Ukraine. The objective, he said, is to get the capability into the Army’s inventory so commanders can make informed decisions about how and where to use it. “Once we get it into our hands, now we can make a decision in Europe. Where does it go? Do I even need it?” Hill said. “It’s getting it in our hands. So that was the key for the Merops. The speed of getting it, then we can make the decision of how we employ it.” That approach reflects a broader change in how the Army wants to manage emerging technology. Rapid fielding is important, but the service also wants to avoid acquiring a capability for an urgent operational need only to leave it without a clear path toward long-term funding, production, and support. Hill said G-TEAD’s process is designed to involve the organizations that will eventually take responsibility for a capability from the outset. Program acquisition executives, or PAEs, are involved early, while the Army’s test and evaluation community and soldiers provide feedback as the system is assessed. The goal is to identify a transition partner upfront rather than wait until after an initial fielding effort to determine who will take ownership. (DEBA, POLAND NOVEMBER 18: A U.S. Army soldier carries a component of the U.S. counter-drone system known as 'MEROPS' after launching an AS3 Surveyor interceptor drone during a live-fire demonstration at the Deba training grounds in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, on November 18, 2025. The drill is part of NATO's Eastern Sentry initiative to enhance vigilance and strengthen defenses against drone threats along the alliance's eastern border. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images))  A U.S. Army soldier carries a component of the Merops counter-drone system during a live-fire demonstration at the Deba training grounds in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, on November 18, 2025. Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto   “We want to make sure that we’re giving commanders capability that we know works,” Hill said. He described the directorate’s standard process as a 180-day effort, with the objective of reaching a decision on whether a capability should become an Army program within that period. The Merops effort, at 142 days, moved faster than that target. The process is also intended to address what acquisition officials often call the ‘valley of death’: the gap between getting an emerging capability into the hands of operational units and the point at which a program office takes over and provides the funding and contracting structure needed to scale it. “We will work to fill that valley of death gap between the time that we put capability into the hands of units and the time that the PM picks it up and actually [provides funding],” Hill said. “There’s a gap there. So we can do that intermediate scaling portion before it fully transitions.” (DEBA, POLAND NOVEMBER 18: A U.S. Army soldier launches an AS3 Surveyor interceptor drone, part of the MEROPS U.S. counter-drone system, during a live-fire demonstration at the Deba training grounds in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, on November 18, 2025. The drill is part of NATO's Eastern Sentry initiative to enhance vigilance and strengthen defenses against drone threats along the alliance's eastern border. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images))  A U.S. Army soldier launches an interceptor drone, part of the Merops counter-drone system, during a live-fire demonstration at the Deba training grounds in Poland. Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images   The effort builds on the Army’s wider push to streamline acquisition, an issue Driscoll has also emphasized. The Army secretary previously described an old process involving 16 decision-making steps, each with the ability to veto a proposal and send it back through the system. That structure could leave the service waiting two to seven years to purchase a capability. The Merops experience suggests that some of those delays can be reduced when acquisition professionals work directly with operational units and the organizations responsible for evaluating and sustaining new equipment. But rapidly acquiring an interceptor is only part of the challenge. The Army must still determine where it offers the greatest value, how it fits into existing air defense architectures, and how to produce and sustain enough systems to meet operational demand. Low-cost interceptors are also not a replacement for every layer of air defense. They are, however, an increasingly important option against large numbers of relatively inexpensive attack drones, particularly when the alternative is expending missiles worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to defeat each target. For the Army, Merops is therefore serving two purposes: providing an additional tool against the growing one-way attack drone threat and demonstrating a faster route from an emerging battlefield capability to a formally supported military program. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com  (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) (Thomas Newdick Avatar)   (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick   Staff Writer    Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at  TWZ  , where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond.   (https://twitter.com/CombatAir)           (https://www.twz.com/category/armies) Armies      (https://www.twz.com/category/counter-unmanned-aerial-vehicles) Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)      (https://www.twz.com/category/land) Land      (https://www.twz.com/category/us-army) U.S. Army         Loading comments…  Comments couldn’t be loaded. Please refresh the page.         Latest in Drones (https://www.twz.com/air/high-altitude-balloons-are-a-game-changing-capability-army-space-command-boss) (The head of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) was initially skeptical about the utility of high-altitude balloons, but now sees them as a "game-changing" capability.)     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The company is pitching the Nomad 100 Fast Pack as a way to rapidly establish autonomous air capabilities at locations that lack runways, conventional support infrastructure, or the personnel typically needed to operate aviation assets.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/us-army) U.S. Army   (https://www.twz.com/land/sikorskys-nomad-100-vtol-drone-is-now-quad-packed-in-a-container-for-rapid-deployment) Sikorsky’s Nomad 100 VTOL Drone Is Now Quad-Packed In A Container For Rapid Deployment   The Fast Pack gets a quartet of autonomous fixed-wing aircraft into action as quickly as possible from remote locales with no infrastructure. By (https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman) Howard Altman ,  (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick        12:31 PM  October 14, 2026        ()    The TWZ Newsletter  Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   (https://twz.beehiiv.com/) Sign Up  By signing up you agree to our(https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) Terms of Service and(https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/) Privacy Policy.           More   (https://www.twz.com/news-features/specter-jet-powered-drone-aims-at-low-cost-multi-mission-single-use) (AEVEX Corp. has publicly shown its Specter jet-powered unmanned aircraft for the first time at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., offering a closer look at a new attritable platform the company hopes will meet emerging U.S. military requirements for affordable, high-speed unmanned systems.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/drones) Drones   (https://www.twz.com/news-features/specter-jet-powered-drone-aims-at-low-cost-multi-mission-single-use) Specter Jet-Powered Drone Aims At Low Cost, Multi-Mission, Single Use   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick           (https://www.twz.com/air/wildfire-is-general-atomics-successor-to-the-mq-9-reaper) (General Atomics, which makes the MQ-9A Reaper drone, has introduced a new airframe, called Wildfire, as a follow on.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/us-air-force) U.S. Air Force   (https://www.twz.com/air/wildfire-is-general-atomics-successor-to-the-mq-9-reaper) Wildfire Is General Atomics’ Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman) Howard Altman           (https://www.twz.com/news-features/meet-morfius-the-drone-designed-to-zap-other-drones) (Lockheed's MORFIUS drone that used HPM to zap other drones.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/drones) Drones   (https://www.twz.com/news-features/meet-morfius-the-drone-designed-to-zap-other-drones) Meet MORFIUS: The Drone Designed To Zap Other Drones   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/jamie-hunter) Jamie Hunter           (https://www.twz.com/air/new-jets-drones-will-transform-fort-hood-into-armys-aerial-intel-hub) (The U.S. Army has announced that its future fleet of ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) aircraft will be based at Fort Hood in Texas.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/q-1) Q-1   (https://www.twz.com/air/new-jets-drones-will-transform-fort-hood-into-armys-aerial-intel-hub) New Jets, Drones Will Transform Fort Hood Into Army’s Aerial Intel Hub   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/air/armys-newest-unit-wants-to-overwhelm-adversaries-with-drones-in-pacific-fight) (New Stryker drone division for the pacific.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/unmanned) Unmanned   (https://www.twz.com/air/armys-newest-unit-wants-to-overwhelm-adversaries-with-drones-in-pacific-fight) Army’s Newest Unit Aims To “Overwhelm” Adversary With Drones In Pacific Fight    By (https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman) Howard Altman           (https://www.twz.com/land/one-of-these-missiles-is-set-to-be-the-armys-next-mid-tier-anti-air-interceptor) (Lockheed Martin and a team made up of Boeing and Anduril are now facing off head-to-head to supply a new middle-tier surface-to-air missile to the U.S. Army.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/us-army) U.S. Army   (https://www.twz.com/land/one-of-these-missiles-is-set-to-be-the-armys-next-mid-tier-anti-air-interceptor) One Of These Missiles Is Set To Be The Army’s Next Mid-Tier Anti-Air Interceptor   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/land/army-widens-stinger-surface-to-air-missile-replacement-search) (The U.S. Army is calling for new potential options for replacing the venerable Stinger short-range heat-seeking surface-to-air missile.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/fim-92-stinger) FIM-92 Stinger   (https://www.twz.com/land/army-widens-stinger-surface-to-air-missile-replacement-search) Army Widens Stinger Surface-To-Air Missile Replacement Search   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/air/high-altitude-balloons-are-a-game-changing-capability-army-space-command-boss) (The head of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) was initially skeptical about the utility of high-altitude balloons, but now sees them as a "game-changing" capability.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/airborne-sensors) Airborne Sensors   (https://www.twz.com/air/high-altitude-balloons-are-a-game-changing-capability-army-space-command-boss) High Altitude Balloons Are A “Game-Changing” Capability: Army Space Command Boss   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/category/news-features) SEE MORE         (https://www.twz.com/) ()    The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   (handle_newsletter_email_submission) (704ecc1ad8)  (/news-features/army-explains-how-merops-interceptor-drone-became-program-of-record-in-just-142-days)  (TWZInline) (0) Email address  (Enter your email) (Please enter a valid email address)  Sign Up  Thank you!      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