STARK unveils Cascade loitering munition and Gambit drone for NATO forces
European defence-tech firm STARK unveiled two new unmanned systems for NATO: the Cascade tube-launched loitering munition (range up to 100 km, payload 4.5 kg) and the Gambit man-portable quadcopter (range up to 40 km, payload 2 kg). Both integrate with STARK’s Minerva command-and-control software for coordinated swarm operations. The announcement followed UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to STARK’s Swindon facility, where he pledged a forthcoming Defence Investment Plan. The systems are designed based on lessons from the war in Ukraine, emphasizing rapid production, adaptability, and electronic warfare resilience.
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STARK introduces new unmanned systems Cascade and Gambit
German defense company STARK has unveiled two new unmanned systems: Cascade, a tube/canister-based loitering munition with ranges of 40-100 km and payload up to 4.5 kg, and Gambit, a portable 6 kg quadcopter for reconnaissance and close-range effects with 50-minute endurance and up to 40 km range. Both systems feature electro-optical/infrared sensing, GNSS-free visual navigation, and interference-resistant European data links. Cascade can be launched from vehicles, boats, or containers in under a minute, while Gambit is man-portable and foldable. The systems integrate with STARK's Minerva mission command software for swarm operations and AI-supported targeting. STARK CTO Johannes Schaback emphasized the need for rapidly producible, flexible systems demonstrated by the war in Ukraine.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikSTARK introduces new unmanned systems Cascade and Gambit
German defense company STARK has unveiled two new unmanned systems: Cascade, a tube/canister-based loitering munition with ranges of 40-100 km and payload up to 4.5 kg, and Gambit, a portable 6 kg quadcopter for ISR and close-range effects. Cascade can be launched from vehicles, boats, or containers in under a minute, and has been demonstrated from the Vanta unmanned surface vehicle. Gambit offers 50-minute endurance, 40 km range for reconnaissance, or 25 km range with 2 kg payload for strike missions. Both systems feature EO/IR sensors, GNSS-free visual navigation, and interference-resistant European data links. They integrate with STARK's Minerva mission command software for coordinated swarm operations. CTO Johannes Schaback emphasized the systems are designed for rapid production, flexible adaptation, and mass deployment, citing lessons from the war in Ukraine.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikSTARK Introduces Cascade and Gambit Unmanned Systems at ILA 2026
German defense company STARK unveiled two new unmanned systems: Cascade, a tube- and canister-launched loitering munition with a range of 40-100 km and payload up to 4.5 kg, and Gambit, a portable foldable quadcopter for reconnaissance and close-range effects weighing 6 kg. Cascade can be deployed from vehicles, boats, or containers and fired in under a minute, with coordinated multi-effector attacks possible. Gambit offers a reconnaissance variant with 50-minute endurance and 40 km range, and an effect variant with 2 kg payload and 25 km range. Both systems feature electro-optical/infrared sensors, GNSS-free visual navigation, jam-resistant European data links, and optional fiber-optic guidance for Gambit. They integrate with STARK's Minerva software for swarm operations. CTO Johannes Schaback emphasized rapid production and flexible deployment inspired by the Ukraine war.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikSTARK unveils Cascade loitering munition and Gambit drone for NATO forces
European defence-tech firm STARK has unveiled two new unmanned systems for NATO forces: the Cascade tube-launched loitering munition with a range of up to 100 kilometers and a payload of 4.5 kg, and the Gambit man-portable quadcopter for surveillance and short-range strike with a 25 km range. Both systems are integrated via STARK's Minerva command-and-control software, enabling coordinated swarm operations. The announcement followed a visit by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to STARK's Swindon facility, where he pledged the government's Defence Investment Plan would be published within weeks. STARK has partnered with UK engineering firm Force Development Services to build a six-cell launcher for Cascade. The company's CTO cited lessons from the war in Ukraine as driving the need for rapidly producible, adaptable weapons systems.
UK Defence JournalSTARK unveils Cascade loitering munition and Gambit quadcopter for NATO forces
European defence-tech firm STARK has introduced two new unmanned systems for NATO forces: the Cascade tube-launched loitering munition with a range of up to 100 km and a payload of 4.5 kg, and the Gambit man-portable quadcopter for ISR and short-range strike up to 25 km. Cascade can be launched from single tubes, multi-cell launchers, or vehicle/ship-mounted systems, and STARK has partnered with UK firm Force Development Services to build a six-cell launcher. Both systems are integrated via STARK's Minerva C2 software for coordinated swarm operations. The announcement followed a visit by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to STARK's Swindon facility, where he pledged a forthcoming Defence Investment Plan. The systems are designed based on lessons from the war in Ukraine, emphasizing rapid production, adaptability, and electronic warfare resilience.
UK Defence Journal