Volvo Defense has partnered with Swedish defense startup Nordic Air Defence to develop a counter-unmanned aerial system (c-UAS) for military vehicles.
The collaboration, unveiled this week at a defense technology convention in London, will focus on the VIPRO solution, scheduled for release in 2026.
VIPRO will integrate Nordic’s Kreuger 100XR interceptor onto Volvo’s tactical truck platforms to create a pod-based launcher for engaging hostile drones.
The interceptor has a range of more than 3 kilometers (2 miles) and uses artificial intelligence for autonomous detection and tracking, according to sources. Its modular design allows deployment across vessels and airborne systems in addition to land-based platforms.
Addressing Increase in UAS Threat
The consortium noted that the project responds to the growing use of low-cost tactical UAS in modern conflicts.
In Ukraine, first-person view drones costing less than $1,000 have destroyed tanks, artillery, and air-defense systems, and NATO along with open-source assessments suggests they are responsible for nearly two-thirds of Russian vehicle losses.
This trend has also highlighted the vulnerability of trucks and troop carriers, which remain essential for moving supplies and soldiers.
In February, Sweden ordered 775 trucks from Volvo and Scania to expand the armed forces, showing the military’s continued reliance on these vehicles.
Commenting on the recent partnership, Volvo Defense President Andreas Svenungsson said that innovations in vehicle protection are “not only shaping the future of defense, but also ensuring the resilience of transportation and logistics systems that societies depend upon.”
He added that “through collaborations like this, we can accelerate solutions that safeguard both military and civilian mobility in an increasingly complex threat environment.”
