Germany has unveiled a new maritime counter-UAV capability called SCILT Naval, developed to protect naval forces from close-range unmanned aerial threats. The system has been produced by Mehler Protection, a company based in Fulda, and is intended to operate as a final protective layer when larger air-defense systems are unable to respond immediately to an approaching drone. SCILT Naval uses a three-stage alert structure covering detection, approach, and engagement. This arrangement allows the system to move through successive levels as an airborne threat is identified and closes on the defended platform. During the engagement phase, the system can employ several forms of ammunition designed to defeat incoming UAVs. Its available rounds include armor-piercing ammunition, fragmentation rounds, and shotgun ammunition, providing flexibility against different close-range threats. The system is therefore intended to fill the defensive gap between broader air-defense capabilities and the immediate protection required when a drone reaches close engagement distances.
