Full Breakdown
HMS Dauntless Receives Unidentified Launchers Likely for Counter-Drone Defence
By Drooid · · How we work
New Equipment Observed
In August, HMS Dauntless was photographed with two rectangular launch boxes on the upper deck, each about 2 m long and 1 m high and positioned port and starboard of the main mast. The configuration matches the March 3 Request for Information for Project TALON, a rapid-acquisition counter-unmanned-air-system (C-UAS) programme. The Royal Navy has not confirmed the fit and declined comment.
Project TALON and Related Urgent Requirements
Project TALON, issued on 3 March, sought a mature counter-drone system that could be installed on ships with minimal integration, capable of defeating NATO Class 2 drones (150-600 kg) over an area of 100 km² expanding to 2 500 km² (roughly a 6-28 km radius). The system was required to engage at least 25 targets, ideally 100, before reloading, with the supplier able to operate and maintain the equipment. Related urgent contracts included Project METIS (issued 27 February) for low-cost effectors in 20-ft ISO containers, and Project HORUS for air-search sensors on uncrewed vessels; the Dauntless launchers are smaller than METIS containers, indicating they are intended for TALON.
Training and Deployment Preparations
After the fit, Dauntless conducted sea-training off Plymouth in September, culminating in Exercise Sharpshooter, which involved live firing at aerial and surface drone targets off Aberporth. On 10 October the ship sailed from Portsmouth for a brief PASSEX with Ukrainian minehunters in the Solent while preparing for operation FIRECREST, a NATO High-North deployment scheduled later in the year.
Addressing a Capability Gap
Type 45 destroyers currently rely on costly Aster missiles, Phalanx CIWS, or 30 mm guns for drone defence; the Martlet missile on an embarked Wildcat helicopter offers a middle-tier option but requires the helicopter to be airborne. The DragonFire laser weapon is not expected on Type 45s until next year, leaving a short-range, affordable hard-kill option missing. The observed launchers could fill that gap, representing a rare rapid acquisition if operational within five months of the RFI.
Outlook
The Royal Navy has not disclosed whether the system is declared operational. If functional, the launchers would give HMS Dauntless a dedicated hard-kill C-UAS capability ahead of its upcoming FIRECREST deployment, addressing a long-identified shortfall in the fleet’s anti-drone defences.