Abstract
  Recently, France’s Alta Ares has rolled out the Tactical Protection Domes, a France-Ukraine jointly developed anti-drone system. Integrating a variety of intelligent interceptor drones, radars and ground control stations, this paper aims to provide an introduction to the Tactical Protection Domes anti-drone system.

  On November 17, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited France’s 107th Air Base, where he was briefed on the Tactical Protection Domes anti-drone system. According to reports, the system is a collaborative product of France’s Alta Ares, Thales, the U.S.’s Echodyne, Picogrid, and Ukraine’s Tenebris. Designed to conduct anti-drone operations within a 30-kilometer radius, it relies on multiple types of drones, edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology and tactical radars. The system consists of four primary components: a ground control station, a tactical radar system, the X-Wing interceptor drone, and the Black Bird turbojet interceptor drone. The ground control station is co-developed by Alta Ares and Picogrid, with Alta Ares responsible for hardware and software integration and Picogrid providing specialized data fusion software. The tactical radar system is mainly supplied by Thales and Echodyne. The X-Wing interceptor drone is primarily developed by Alta Ares, with the participation of Ukrainian experts in its R&D and testing processes. The Black Bird turbojet interceptor drone is a joint development effort between Alta Ares and Tenebris.

Ground Control Station
  The ground control station of the Tactical Protection Domes anti-drone system adopts a portable control box design, integrating dual displays, a keyboard, drone control joysticks, communication modules, and Picogrid’s data fusion software. It is equipped with functions such as mission planning, drone control, and data fusion. Capable of receiving real-time target data from tactical radars (e.g., those developed by Thales and Echodyne), it can synchronously control the flight paths and interception routes of the two types of interceptor drones, supporting multi-drone coordinated interception. It is also likely to possess certain anti-jamming capabilities, enabling it to maintain communication with drones in complex electromagnetic environments.

Radar System
  Regarding the radar system, based on the released display images, the radar used by the Tactical Protection Domes anti-drone system is likely the EchoGuard tactical radar developed by Echodyne. According to the product introduction released by Echodyne, the EchoGuard tactical radar is a 4D surveillance radar built on Multifunction Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) technology. By integrating the performance of electronically scanned arrays into a compact solid-state architecture, it achieves a breakthrough in short-range detection applications. Operating primarily in the K-band, the radar features an azimuth angle range of 0-120° and an elevation angle range of 0-80°. It can simultaneously detect and continuously track up to 20 air and ground targets with high precision at a search and tracking rate of 10Hz, delivering high-fidelity data streams including latitude and longitude, distance, speed, azimuth angle, and time-to-arrival.

  The core technological advantage of this radar lies in its ultra-low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) design, with an overall dimension of 20.3×16.3×5.7 cm, making it suitable for rapid deployment across various terrains and missions. The radar’s detection range varies by target type: it can detect small quadrotor drones at distances exceeding 1 km, large multi-rotor drones over 1.4 km, small fixed-wing aircraft beyond 2 km, personnel targets over 2.2 km, large fixed-wing aircraft more than 2.5 km, and small vehicles, ships and helicopters over 3.5 km. As a software-defined radar, its functions can be continuously optimized through software iterations, and its maximum detection range can be extended to 6 km.

  However, given the limited detection range of the EchoGuard tactical radar, it is most likely deployed for detection and early warning of short-range, low-altitude small drones, helping to guide the X-Wing interceptor drones in intercepting detected targets. In contrast, the longer-range, higher-speed Black Bird turbojet interceptor drones are likely paired with more powerful, longer-range tactical radars supplied by Thales, to achieve Alta Ares’ claimed goal of “intercepting drones within a 30-kilometer radius”. To date, the specific model of the Thales radar used in the anti-drone system has not been disclosed to the public.

Interceptor Drones
  In terms of interceptor drones, the Tactical Protection Domes anti-drone system is equipped with two types: the X-Wing interceptor drone and the Black Bird turbojet interceptor drone. The X-Wing interceptor drone features a cylindrical fuselage, with an electro-optical sensor, communication modules, and a real-time data processing module mounted at the front. A set of X-shaped short wings is installed at the rear of the fuselage, with a small propeller fitted at the tip of each wing. This drone is also equipped with an AI-powered autonomous terminal guidance software named Pixel Lock, which provides auxiliary guidance during the final phase of interception. In actual deployment, the drone can take off vertically using its own power system, gradually approach the target under manual control and software guidance, and ultimately intercept the target via direct collision.

  According to information released by Alta Ares, the Pixel Lock AI-powered autonomous terminal guidance software installed on the X-Wing interceptor drone can rapidly process real-time image data captured by the drone, autonomously identify and locate targets, and lock onto them without manual intervention to guide the drone in interception. Reports indicate that the X-Wing interceptor drones equipped with the Pixel Lock software have been deployed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with the AI software boosting the interception success rate against Russia’s Shahed series drones to 65%. In comparison, the same model of interceptor drones without the software only achieve a success rate of 35% to 40% against the same type of targets.

  Notably, the X-Wing interceptor drone bears a striking resemblance to Russia’s Yolka interceptor drone—a smart AI-powered interceptor drone put into combat service by the Russian military in 2025, specifically designed for frontline Russian soldiers to rapidly intercept Ukrainian drones. Featuring a cylindrical fuselage, the Yolka drone is equipped with two sets of X-shaped short wings (one at the front and one at the rear), with small propellers mounted on the rear wings. An electro-optical sensor is fitted at the front of the fuselage, and an integrated computing module, which runs the on-board AI system, is carried in the middle section. In practical deployment, the drone is primarily launched via a soldier-portable catapult, and once airborne, it is fully guided by its on-board AI system to intercept targets through direct collision.

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Post time:Sep-25-2020