European Firms Develop Containerized Naval Anti-Drone Module
Destinus, OMT, and CUBEDIN have signed an MoU to integrate the Hornet counter-drone system into a standardized container module for warships, aiming to offer a modular defense against drone swarms.
Three European defense firms are teaming up to create a containerized anti-drone system for warships. Destinus, CUBEDIN, and OMT Group announced the partnership at the DALO Industry Days 2026 event in Herning, Denmark.
The collaboration, formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding, aims to package Destinus's Hornet counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) interceptor into standard shipping containers. The goal is to offer navies a modular, rapidly integratable defensive layer against high-volume aerial threats like Class 2 drones.
Industrial Partnership and Roles
Each company brings a specific expertise to the project under the agreed workshare. Destinus will supply the Hornet interceptor system and its internal launcher architecture. OMT Group will handle naval platform engineering and structural integration for ships. CUBEDIN will provide the standardized mission modularity interfaces and software framework needed to connect the system to a vessel.
By using standard 10-foot or 20-foot ISO container footprints, the partners intend to let navies add or remove the C-UAS capability based on mission needs. This approach is designed to avoid requiring major structural changes or overhauls to a ship's combat management system.
Targeting the Drone Swarm Threat
The initiative is a direct response to a growing naval warfare challenge. Modern surface fleets must find ways to defeat massed, low-cost aerial drones without wasting expensive, limited-supply surface-to-air missiles on every engagement.
Wouter van Beek, Chief Commercial Officer at Destinus, explained the rationale. He stated that navies need more defense and deterrence capacity against multiplying threats without using a high-end missile for every engagement, and that a modular mission architecture is a practical way to bring Hornet aboard different vessel classes.
The Value of Modular Integration
From a ship design perspective, this containerized concept offers flexibility for both existing fleets and future vessels. Kåre Groes Christiansen, CEO of OMT Group A/S, stated that modularity and adaptability are becoming defining requirements for future naval capabilities. He argued that combining the interceptor with platform engineering and standard interfaces lets navies add new defenses without waiting for a new ship class.
Danny Ingemann, CEO of CUBEDIN A/S, emphasized the importance of integration, noting that advanced effectors must be integrated safely and efficiently into the platform to become operational capability. The consortium aims to build a standardized approach to shorten the development timeline from concept to operational use at sea.
The development path for the modular Hornet payload will include standard phases like Preliminary Design Review and Critical Design Review, followed by full naval qualification testing. The group plans to offer the finished containerized capability to European navies looking for adaptable point-defense options.
This tripartite effort follows separate progress for Destinus. The company recently secured a contract with the Dutch Ministry of Defence for a Concept Development & Evaluation program. That project aims to integrate the Hornet B2 kinetic C-UAS interceptor directly onto Royal Netherlands Navy warships by the second quarter of 2027.
