- Katwijk-based Destinus tested its Hornet Counter-Drone System during Spanish Army TEC2 Exercises in Viator under the 2025 Tactical Experimentation Campaign.
- The Hornet autonomously intercepted an aerial target during the Future Force 2035 Concept Demonstration Exercise.
Katwijk-based aerospace company Destinus has announced the successful field test of its Hornet Counter-Drone System during the TEC2 Exercises in Viator, Almería, organized by the Spanish Army under its 2025 Tactical Experimentation Campaign.
According to the company, the Hornet successfully demonstrated its capability to autonomously intercept an aerial target during a Concept Demonstration Exercise led by the Future Force 2035 Center. The test showcased the growing maturity of autonomous counter-drone technologies within Europe’s defense sector and provided a real-world opportunity for evaluation by Spanish military officials.
Destinus described Hornet as part of a “growing family of counter-UAS interceptors” designed for mass production and capable of operating as a standalone system or as part of ground-based air-defense networks. The company said these systems are developed to perform “near-autonomous interception of hostile drones,” providing a scalable and dependable layer of protection for modern armed forces.
“By advancing this technology in collaboration with European partners, Destinus is contributing directly to Europe’s security and technological sovereignty in the field of air defense,” the company said.
More than 70 representatives from the Spanish Armed Forces and the Ministerio de Defensa Español attended the demonstration, underscoring the growing institutional focus on autonomous interception systems as a key element of Europe’s defense modernization. The exercise also highlighted the potential of private-sector innovation to strengthen collective security capabilities across NATO-aligned states.
According to the company website, Hornet’s advantages lie in its modular structure, which allows for rapid, field-interchangeable payloads to adapt to evolving mission requirements. The platform is “capable of fully autonomous, human-free operation,” with quick setup, low maintenance, and lower costs compared to traditional air-defense systems.
Destinus plans to offer Hornet in three main configurations — “Hunter,” “Stalker,” and “Plotter” — designed for a range of missions including surveillance, 3D mapping, data relay, intelligence gathering, and hostile drone interception. The flexibility of these variants allows forces to integrate Hornet units into layered defense networks or deploy them independently for mobile operations.
The participation of Destinus in Spain’s tactical experimentation program reflects a broader European movement toward AI-enabled counter-drone systems as militaries adapt to the rapid rise of small unmanned threats. With conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlighting the impact of low-cost aerial drones, autonomous interceptors like Hornet represent an emerging solution for fast, scalable defense against swarming attacks.