The U.S. military has deployed the Merops drone interception system in combat for the first time; the system had previously been tested in Ukraine. It was used in Kuwait to destroy an Iranian Shahed-type attack drone.
It was reported by Business Insider.
According to the report, the combat deployment took place this week. Merops had previously been used in Ukraine to counter russian attack drones.
As of November 2025, the Ukrainian military had destroyed more than a thousand Shaheds using this system.
Merops was developed by the American initiative Project Eagle. The system consists of a radar, a launcher, a ground control station, and an interceptor drone costing about USD 15,000.
The drone can reach speeds of over 280 km/h and uses artificial intelligence, allowing it to operate in conditions of active electronic warfare. It destroys targets either by direct collision or by detonating near them.
Operating the system requires a small crew, which takes a few days to train. Operators control the system using standard Xbox controllers.
One of Merops’ main advantages is its low cost compared to anti-aircraft missiles. This allows forces to avoid wasting expensive ammunition on destroying cheaper attack drones.
The US Army deployed Merops in the Middle East in March. Following the escalation of the conflict with Iran, Washington ordered thousands of these interceptors. If production increases, the price per unit could drop to less than USD 10,000.
Following its successful deployment in Ukraine, Poland and Romania have acquired the system. Lithuania has also announced its intention to purchase Merops.
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