German defense firm Mehler Protection has unveiled the SCILT, a close-range counter-UAV system designed to protect vehicles from small drones, including FPVs, using standard shotgun ammunition. The system was showcased at the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition.
At the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition in Paris, Mehler Protection introduced the SCILT (Short-Range Close-In Laser Track?) — a vehicle-mounted counter-drone system that employs standard shotgun shells to engage small unmanned aerial vehicles, including first-person-view (FPV) drones, at very close range. The system is designed as a last-layer physical defense for convoys and armored vehicles facing the proliferating threat of small drones on the battlefield. No pricing, availability, or operational testing details were disclosed in the announcement. The Zioneer has covered related counter-UAV developments, including Rheinmetall's containerized loitering munition launcher and Romania's INTERJET jet-powered interceptor drone, but this is the first report on Mehler Protection's system.
- DevelopingRheinmetall unveils containerized launcher for FV-014 loitering munition
- DevelopingChinese develop multi-spectral smoke screen for troop protection
- DevelopingRomania tests first jet-powered interceptor drone INTERJET
- DevelopingIDF soldiers defend against explosive drones in southern Lebanon — exclusive footage
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake