A Swedish defense technology startup is aiming to disrupt the counter-drone landscape with a low-cost, high-speed interceptor designed to meet the growing threat of small unmanned aerial systems.
In an interview with NextGen Defense, Karl Rosander, CEO of Nordic Air Defence (NAD), detailed the company’s development of the Kreuger100 — a compact interceptor designed to neutralize drones before they reach their targets. According to Rosander, the system is being tailored for use by military forces, law enforcement agencies, and critical infrastructure operators.
The Kreuger100 prioritizes affordability and agility by integrating software-driven flight control and pulsed propulsion in place of expensive onboard sensors or guidance systems. Rosander said the platform relies on “controlled aerodynamics” to steer toward its target and can reach speeds of 270 kilometers per hour (168 mph) for civil applications, with higher speeds planned for military variants.
“We test this every day indoors but we are also doing flight tests outside,” Rosander said, noting that initial outdoor trials were conducted in secrecy due to operational security concerns.
The startup envisions a broad range of operational scenarios, from shooting down high-flying reconnaissance drones like the Russian Orlan-10 to intercepting Iranian-designed Shahed drones at mid-altitude before they reach critical infrastructure.
“Shaheds come in at mid-altitude, around 2,000 meters. We can take them down before they reach their targets,” Rosander said.
The company is also exploring portable configurations of the system, potentially allowing troops to carry drone interceptors in backpacks for immediate, on-the-move protection.
“The most dangerous drones on the battlefield aren’t the first-person drones dropping bombs; they’re the ones that transmit GPS coordinates for artillery strikes,” Rosander said. “We need fast, affordable ways to neutralize them.”
As militaries continue to face an evolving spectrum of drone threats — from loitering munitions to ISR platforms — Nordic Air Defence is positioning its modular, scalable interceptor as a flexible and cost-effective response for the modern battlefield.