John Cockerill presented its new anti-drone system, which can be fitted to all its medium-calibre turrets at DIMDEX 2024 (Hall 5, Stand 314). On the strength of John Cockerill Defense‘s latest highly successful testing, the Cockerill i-X. Always attentive to the operational needs of international armed forces, John Cockerill has developed an anti-drone solution for our 30 mm turrets. Tested for 2 weeks in Bulgaria, the anti-drone system proved its effectiveness against drones of various sizes, sometimes flying at extremely high speeds. The ‘autotracking’ system, capable of locking onto a target and anticipating its movements (thanks to state-of-the-art artificial intelligence) and already tested and approved on land systems, has been adapted for use in the air. This application, coupled with the use of ABM munitions, has produced excellent results.
Thierry Renaudin, President of John Cockerill Defense: “These three days at DIMDEX are an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate the consistency, breadth and innovative nature of John Cockerill Defense’s offer. We are very proud to present our new anti-drone system, which meets a real need for international armed forces. This system is the result of the ingenuity of our highly qualified teams, and further developments are expected between now and Eurosatory in Paris“.
The Cockerill® i-X (“i” for “interceptor” and “X” for “modular-multi-weapons system): it’s the first ever ground interceptor and is a breakthrough combat system for territorial defense interception: engage and defeat incoming threats before they reach their objective. Last October, the Cockerill i-X once again demonstrated its incredible speed and unrivalled stability, firing at over 120km/h and hitting the target every time. The Cockerill® i-X is born from the merger of the technological excellence of weapon systems and the expertise of rally raid performance. The Cockerill® i-X represents a break with traditional concepts and imposes a new paradigm of military land operations. This anti-drone system can be installed on the Cockerill i-X, which will be on show at DIMDEX 2024.
The vehicle is capable of moving at very high speeds on-road and off-road (with a thermal or hybrid thermal-electric drive train), light, stealthy (appearance management with adaptive camouflage, and modification of IR and acoustic signature), integrating multi sensor data fusion technology (Smart Helmet, on-board intelligence AI, cameras, sensors : LWS, Acoustic Gunshot detection and localization) and capable of integrating a suite of effective weapons (such as 25mm, 30mm, Missiles, Rockets,…) depending on the threat to be neutralized, as well as to foresee the integration of a new generation of effectors. Other striking innovative aspects concern the weapon system which will be completely retractable to ensure its stealth and speed. The vehicle will be quickly transportable by Air (plane, helicopter, droppable by parachute), Sea and Land (train, truck).
