BAE Systems Unveils BlackThorn Modular Warhead Family for Drone Era
On July 21, 2026, BAE Systems unveiled BlackThorn, a new family of modular warheads designed for the modern drone warfare era. The warhead family comes in 40mm, 70mm, and 120mm variants, supporting blast, fragmentation, multi-purpose, and anti-armor effects. BlackThorn has already been selected for integration into Frankenburg Technologies' Mark I short-range air defense missile, a low-cost interceptor designed to counter Class I-III drones, including Shahed-type threats. The collaboration, formalized earlier in 2026, combines BAE's expertise in energetic materials and fuzing with Frankenburg's rapid, low-cost manufacturing approach. Frankenburg aims to produce up to 10,000 Mark I missiles annually under the UK's Low-Cost Air Defence Effectors program, highlighting a broader trend of legacy defense firms partnering with agile startups to accelerate munitions development for high-volume, attritable platforms.
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