X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor at Farnborough
X-Bow Systems unveiled the Buckler, a low-cost supersonic drone interceptor priced under $100,000, at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. Designed to destroy Group 3 drones like Iran's Shahed-136, the Buckler addresses the cost imbalance of using million-dollar missiles against cheap drones. X-Bow manufactures the airframe and propulsion in-house to avoid supply chain bottlenecks. The Pentagon has requested a briefing, and the interceptor has completed a successful flight test.
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X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 Buckler drone interceptor to solve cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a New Mexico-based solid rocket motor manufacturer, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to kill Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds, flying below 18,000 feet at under 250 knots) for under $100,000 per unit, addressing the cost asymmetry where U.S. forces use multi-million dollar PAC-3 interceptors (cost-per-kill ratio up to 114:1) against cheap Iranian Shahed drones. The interceptor is supersonic and built entirely in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The announcement follows a successful flight test. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a reusable ground-launched high-power microwave system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones per flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 Buckler drone interceptor to address cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a New Mexico-based solid rocket motor manufacturer, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to destroy Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds, flying below 18,000 feet at under 250 knots) at supersonic speeds, with a unit cost under $100,000. The company manufactures the airframe and propulsion system entirely in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The launch addresses the growing cost disparity highlighted by the U.S. war with Iran, where a single PAC-3 interceptor costing $4 million is used to destroy a Shahed-136 drone worth about $35,000, a 114-to-1 cost-per-kill ratio. X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley emphasized the need for affordable capability at scale. The Buckler has already completed a test flight demonstrating its propulsion and flight performance. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a reusable ground-launched high-power microwave system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones in a single flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
X-Bow Systems Unveils Sub-$100,000 Buckler Drone Interceptor to Address Cost Imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket motor manufacturer, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow, designed to kill Group 3 drones for under $100,000 per unit. The supersonic interceptor is built entirely in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The launch addresses the growing cost disparity highlighted by the US-Iran conflict, where a single PAC-3 interceptor costing up to $4 million is used against cheap Shahed drones. CEO Jason Hundley emphasized the need for affordable, scalable capability. Lockheed Martin also introduced competing low-cost solutions, including the Morfius X-Rotor microwave system and a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
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X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 drone interceptor to address cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a New Mexico-based solid rocket motor manufacturer, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to destroy Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds, flying below 18,000 feet at under 250 knots) at supersonic speeds, with a unit cost under $100,000. The company manufactures the airframe and propulsion system in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The announcement comes amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, where U.S. forces face a 114-1 cost-per-kill ratio using $4 million PAC-3 interceptors against cheap Shahed drones. X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley emphasized the need for affordable capability at scale. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a reusable ground-launched high-power microwave system that can neutralize over 50 drones per flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 drone interceptor to address cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket motor manufacturer based in New Mexico, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to destroy Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds, flying below 18,000 feet at under 250 knots) at supersonic speeds, with a unit cost under $100,000. The company aims to solve the cost quandary of using multimillion-dollar interceptors like the PAC-3 (costing $4 million per shot) against cheap Iranian Shahed attack drones (costing around $35,000), achieving a 114-1 cost-per-kill ratio. X-Bow manufactures the airframe and propulsion system in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The announcement follows a successful test of the Buckler's propulsion and flight performance. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a reusable ground-launched high-power microwave system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones in a single flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 drone interceptor to address cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket motor manufacturer based in New Mexico, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to kill Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds, flying below 18,000 feet at under 250 knots) at supersonic speeds, with a unit cost under $100,000. The company manufactures the airframe and propulsion system entirely in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The announcement comes amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, where U.S. forces face a stark cost imbalance: a single PAC-3 interceptor costing $4 million is used against a Shahed-136 drone worth as little as $35,000, a 114-1 cost-per-kill ratio. X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley emphasized the need for affordable capability at scale. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a recoverable and reusable ground-launched high-power microwave counter-UAS system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones in a single flight, as well as a cheaper Patriot interceptor.
X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 drone interceptor to solve cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a New Mexico-based solid rocket motor manufacturer, unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow in London. The Buckler is designed to destroy Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds) at supersonic speeds for under $100,000 per unit, addressing the cost imbalance of using multimillion-dollar interceptors like the PAC-3 against cheap Iranian Shahed attack drones. X-Bow manufactures the airframe and propulsion in-house to avoid production bottlenecks. The announcement follows a successful test flight. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a reusable high-power microwave system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones per flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor. The developments respond to the ongoing US conflict with Iran, where a single PAC-3 interceptor costs $4 million versus a $35,000 Shahed drone, a 114-to-1 cost ratio.
X-Bow Systems unveils sub-$100,000 Buckler drone interceptor to address cost imbalance
X-Bow Systems, a New Mexico-based solid rocket motor manufacturer, has unveiled the Buckler interceptor at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow, designed to destroy Group 3 drones (weighing up to 1,320 pounds) at supersonic speeds for under $100,000 per unit. The company aims to solve the cost asymmetry problem where U.S. forces have been using multi-million dollar interceptors like the PAC-3 ($4 million each) against cheap Iranian Shahed-136 drones (around $35,000), resulting in a 114-to-1 cost-per-kill ratio. Buckler's airframe and propulsion system are manufactured entirely in-house, eliminating production bottlenecks. X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley stated the system has already flown and demonstrated its propulsion and flight performance. Separately, Lockheed Martin introduced the Morfius X-Rotor, a recoverable and reusable high-power microwave counter-UAS system capable of neutralizing over 50 drones in a single flight, and a cheaper Patriot interceptor variant.
X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor
X-Bow Systems has unveiled the Buckler, a low-cost supersonic drone interceptor with a unit price under $100,000. Designed to defeat Group 3 drones such as Iran's Shahed-136, the missile can also engage subsonic cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft, and helicopters. The company completed a successful flight test demonstrating propulsion and flight characteristics. The Pentagon has requested a briefing on the interceptor. The Buckler aims to address the U.S. military's short-range air defense gap, offering a cost-effective alternative to expensive legacy missiles like the Stinger ($100,000-$400,000) and AIM-9X ($500,000). X-Bow, which secured a $105 million investment from Lockheed Martin, positions the Buckler as a solution to the attrition problem of trading million-dollar interceptors against thousand-dollar drone threats.
X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor
X-Bow Systems has unveiled the Buckler, a low-cost supersonic drone interceptor with a unit price under $100,000. Designed primarily to defeat Group 3 drones such as Iran's Shahed-136, the missile can also engage subsonic cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft, and helicopters. The company completed a successful flight test demonstrating its propulsion system and flight characteristics. The Pentagon has requested a briefing on the interceptor. The Buckler enters a competitive market where existing counter-drone systems like the Coyote and Freedom Eagle-1 cost $100,000 to $200,000, while more advanced missiles like the Stinger and AIM-9X can cost up to $400,000 and $500,000 respectively. X-Bow aims to address the U.S. military's short-range air defense gap by providing affordable capability at scale.
X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor
X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket motor and small launch vehicle manufacturer, has unveiled the Buckler, a low-cost supersonic drone interceptor priced under $100,000 per unit. Designed to defeat Group 3 drones such as Iran's Shahed-136, the Buckler can also engage subsonic cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft, and helicopters. The company completed a successful flight test demonstrating propulsion and flight characteristics. The Pentagon has requested a briefing on the interceptor. X-Bow aims to address the U.S. military's short-range air defense gap, offering an affordable alternative to costly legacy missiles like the Stinger ($100,000-$400,000) and AIM-9X Sidewinder (~$500,000). The Buckler competes with systems like Raytheon's Coyote (~$100,000) and AeroVironment's Freedom Eagle-1 ($150,000-$200,000), but offers higher speed and responsiveness.
X-Bow Systems Unveils Buckler, a Mass-Producible Drone Interceptor Under $100,000
X-Bow Systems has unveiled Buckler, a flight-tested interceptor designed to shoot down Group 3 drones at supersonic speeds, priced under $100,000 per unit. The company manufactures the airframe, solid rocket motor, and propellant entirely in-house, bypassing the constrained supply chain of traditional suppliers like Northrop Grumman and Aerojet Rocketdyne. CEO Jason Hundley framed the weapon as a direct response to the unsustainable cost of using million-dollar missiles against cheap drones like Iran's Shahed-136. Buckler recently completed a successful flight test and was unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow. X-Bow's containerized 'Rocket Factory in a Box' production system, certified by the Air Force Research Laboratory, enables scalable manufacturing. The name 'Buckler' references a medieval shield, emphasizing its role as a cheap, close-in defensive tool.