The Merops (also called the Surveyor) is a low-cost (~45k+/unit, so Merops trades favorably even at multi-shot engagement rates.
Platform
Per src-dronexl-perennial-interceptor-doctrine-2026-05 (citing Defense Express): a fixed-wing interceptor flying >280 km/h (175 mph) — fast enough to catch jet-powered Shahed variants. It is pilot-cued at launch then autonomous in terminal engagement via onboard computer vision + RF detection with jam-resistant control links. Originally built by perennial-autonomy (ex–White Stork / Project Eagle) for Ukrainian crews, where Perennial reports 4,000+ intercepts of Russian drones since mid-2024.
Key facts
- Per Army Secretary dan-driscoll (April 16 2026 House Defense Appropriations testimony), the Army purchased 13,000 Merops units in the opening days of the Iran war (operation-epic-fury) — see src-army-counter-drone-marketplace-stateside-2026-04.
- CSIS analyst tom-karako has previously credited Merops and similar low-cost interceptors with doing the “lion’s share of the drone killing” in CENTCOM (see src-counter-drone-middle-east-jiatf-2026-04).
Doctrinal context
The Merops buy is part of the broader U.S. response to operation-spider-web and the shahed-drone proliferation problem — a deliberate move down the cost curve so the defender does not run out of $1M-per-shot interceptors first.
Procurement
- May 19 2026 — included under the $500M three-year IDIQ awarded to perennial-autonomy by jiatf-401 for enterprise C-UAS support; bundled with bumblebee-counter-uas V1/V2 and hornet-strike-drone (src-perennial-autonomy-jiatf-401-500m-2026-05).
Cost curve
Even at ~2,000–2,500 Ukrainian Wild Hornets Sting** interceptor; per src-dronexl-perennial-interceptor-doctrine-2026-05 the premium reflects Merops’s AI/autonomy layer. Open question: whether $15K is a price floor or entry-tier pricing.
European production
Co-produced in Germany with Munich-based twentyfour-industries for European/NATO buyers; Lithuania bought 48 units in April 2026, with Poland and Romania training/deploying on NATO’s eastern flank (src-dronexl-perennial-interceptor-doctrine-2026-05).
Related Pages
- perennial-autonomy · shahed-drone · operation-epic-fury · counter-uas
- bumblebee-counter-uas · hornet-strike-drone
- dan-driscoll · tom-karako · twentyfour-industries · eric-schmidt
- jiatf-401 · jiatf-401-marketplace