NYT: US startup Powerus produces budget interceptor drones in UAE

Florida-based startup Powerus is manufacturing low-cost interceptor drones at a facility in the United Arab Emirates that are capable of shooting down Iranian-launched drones, The New York Times (NYT) reports.

According to a Powerus representative, the company currently produces around 3,000 interceptors per month and is seeking to establish a network of facilities in different countries around the world to increase global production to 15,000 interceptors per month by mid-2027.

The report notes that achieving this goal will require a major overhaul of the way the defence industry operates, as the sector is known for being slow, bureaucratic and expensive. To meet the urgent demand from US allies for interceptors, Powerus has partnered with local manufacturers.

This allows the company to produce the drones quickly at existing facilities instead of building new plants in the United States and exporting the weapons.

In the UAE, interceptor drones are manufactured in a small warehouse where workers work 12-hour shifts. The interceptor, which costs only around $5,000, is relatively easy to assemble: its 3D-printed components are connected like Lego pieces, while standard microchips and GPS modules are used to operate it.

By Jeyhun Aghazada