INLEAP Photonics is developing a new product for laser-based drone defence on an uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) platform. It is based on the company’s FASTLIGHT SHIELD technology and combines the laser effector with a compact, all-terrain UGV platform from Hentschel System and a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) software platform provided by defence company STARK.
The new system was presented for the first time on 12 May 2026 during the technology showcase hosted by the Bundeswehr Innovation Centre at Erding Air Base. The presentation formed part of a capability assessment for NATO UAS Class I and II C-UAS. The system is designed to counter Class I and II UAS without ammunition or collateral damage in under one second. INLEAP said the event “attracted significant interest from representatives of the German armed forces and the defence industry”. Among those attending were Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Inspector of the German Army, and Rear Admiral Christian Bock, Head of the Bundeswehr Drone Innovation Centre and host of the event.
“Small, low-cost drones are no longer used solely against stationary targets, but increasingly against mobile units, temporary protected areas and critical infrastructure in changing operational situations,” INLEAP said in a press release issued on May 28. “This is driving demand for systems that are rapidly deployable, reliably operational and effective even in challenging terrain.”
The company said that the new system will be ready for trials in the third quarter of 2026 in a national and collective defence scenario and ready for delivery from 2027.
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