Mercedes, Tytan join forces to build mobile drone-killer systems

Mercedes-Benz is set to partner with a start-up focused on protecting European critical infrastructure from hostile drones, marking the latest move by a struggling German carmaker to expand into the defence sector.

The Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with Munich-based Tytan Technologies, Financial Times reports.

Under the plan, Mercedes will supply vehicles for a mobile air-defence system designed to counter small first-person view (FPV) drones, which have become an increasing concern for European intelligence agencies.

Officials have attributed a rise in suspicious drone activity around airports, military bases, and other sensitive sites to Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The system, named “Drone Defender,” will be built on Mercedes’ Sprinter van and a military version of its G-Class SUV, which is already in service with the German armed forces. The platform will be equipped with sensors and launch systems for Tytan interceptor drones designed to destroy hostile unmanned aerial vehicles either by ramming into them or detonating a warhead.

The companies aim to develop a lower-cost alternative to more complex systems deployed on the battlefield, such as Rheinmetall’s Skyranger, which has proven effective against Russian drones in Ukraine but costs more than €10mn per unit and has faced delivery delays.

Tytan, which already produces an interceptor drone called Metis, plans to begin production of the “Drone Defender” system by the end of the year, with ambitions to scale output to thousands of units annually.

The partnership reflects a broader trend of collaboration between German automotive firms and the defence industry as Germany commits more than €750bn in military spending through 2030. Berlin has encouraged carmakers, facing declining profits and increasing competition from China, to leverage their manufacturing capacity for defence production.

The Financial Times reported in March that Volkswagen was in talks with Israeli defence company Rafael to produce components for its Iron Dome system at its Osnabrück plant. Meanwhile, Franco-German defence manufacturer KNDS has reportedly discussed using capacity at Mercedes’ van factory in Ludwigsfelde near Berlin.

Tytan Technologies, founded in 2023 by two former Technical University of Munich students, was commissioned by the Bundeswehr last October to develop a prototype drone defence system to protect military bases under a contract worth nearly €20mn.

A person familiar with the plans said the Mercedes partnership builds on that work, with Tytan aiming to market the system to several European governments, with discussions already underway.

Mercedes-Benz declined to comment. However, chief executive Ola Källenius said last month that the company could expand its defence activities, while stressing that such operations would remain a niche segment.

Mercedes already produces a military version of its G-Class SUV, known as the “Wolf,” at its plant in Graz, Austria. The company has long maintained ties to the defence sector but scaled back military production after spinning off its truck division, Daimler Truck, in 2021.

The civilian G-Class remains one of Mercedes-Benz’s most successful models in recent years and is particularly popular among celebrities, including hip-hop artists and footballers.

By Vafa Guliyeva