Pulling Guard: Protecting Ships from Drone Attacks ©2026 New Atlas [![New Atlas Logo]] Menu Show Search Search QuerySubmit Search

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Towed defense platform to protect commercial shipping from drone attacks

By[David Szondy] February 15, 2026

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• [Email] / ![New Atlas] Towed defense platform to protect commercial shipping from drone attacks ![Pulling Guard is designed to counter drone threats against shipping] Pulling Guard is designed to counter drone threats against shipping DARPA View 2 Images ![The Pulling Guard towed platform] 1/2 The Pulling Guard towed platform DARPA ![Pulling Guard is designed to counter drone threats against shipping] 2/2 Pulling Guard is designed to counter drone threats against shipping DARPA ![Scroll for more] DARPA and Raytheon have teamed up to tackle one of the growing threats to commercial and logistical shipping: attacks by drones. The Pulling Guard project aims to develop a towed platform that trails behind ships, providing detection and countermeasure capabilities. If you have one of those apps that allow you to track ships, you might want to have a look at the Black Sea, where something peculiar is happening. Normally, shipping traffic tends to move directly from point A to point B, allowing for the curvature of the Earth and any obstacles along the way. However, in 2026, Black Sea traffic is spending much of its time hugging the southern coastline –particularly along Turkey’s shores. That’s because Ukraine, despite not having a conventional navy, has been disrupting Russian shipping using a variety of drones, both airborne and seaborne. As a result, vessels of all nationalities are keeping as far away as possible to avoid being caught in the crossfire of uncrewed weapons. Unfortunately, tit's a problem that's becoming all too common in conflict zones. Similar incidents have occurred in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and there have even been recorded cases in the Baltic. Worse still, the world’s navies are simply not equipped to provide the level of protection required against terrorism, piracy, and regional wars. The result is detours, delays, and huge increases in shipping and insurance costs, along with disruptions to the world's vital supply lines. That's where[Pulling Guard] comes in. ![The Pulling Guard towed platform] The Pulling Guard towed platform DARPA One way of handling the drone threat would be to arm merchant ships and equip them with sensor suites. Unfortunately, that tends to run up against all sorts of legal and political obstacles, not to mention the difficulty, expense, and scheduling challenges