Metis wins Kongsberg counter-drone contract - Industrial News
AI Analysis
Metis, a UK-based RF sensing company, has secured a contract with Kongsberg to supply Skyperion Lightweight passive RF sensors for Poland’s SAN counter-UAS program. This £30 million+ program highlights the increasing European investment in layered counter-drone systems, emphasizing detection as a critical component alongside defeat capabilities. The contract reinforces the growing importance of passive RF sensing for its discreet operation and integration potential.
Key Takeaways
- Metis will provide passive RF sensors (Skyperion Lightweight) to Kongsberg for the Polish SAN cUAS program.
- The Skyperion Lightweight system detects and locates drone RF emissions without emitting detectable signals.
- Poland’s SAN cUAS program is valued at over £30 million.
- Passive RF sensing is gaining prominence due to its ability to operate discreetly and integrate into layered defense architectures.
- Successful cUAS implementation requires seamless integration of sensors, software, and effectors for rapid data fusion and response.
Why It Matters
This contract demonstrates a shift towards more sophisticated, layered counter-drone defenses in Europe, prioritizing early detection and non-jamming technologies. The emphasis on passive RF sensing suggests a concern for maintaining operational security in contested electromagnetic environments. The trend towards integrated systems necessitates a focus on interoperability and data fusion for effective cUAS capabilities.
Metis wins Kongsberg counter-drone contract - Industrial News
Metis wins Kongsberg counter-drone contract
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June 16, 2026
Metis will supply passive RF sensors for Polish counter-drone capability. The Skyperion Lightweight order strengthens UK involvement in European defence electronics.
Metis has been selected by Kongsberg to supply Skyperion Lightweight passive RF sensors for Poland’s SAN counter-uncrewed air system programme, strengthening UK involvement in one of Europe’s fastest-developing defence technology markets.
The Lincoln-based company specialises in radio-frequency sensing and drone detection technology. Its Skyperion Lightweight system is designed to detect and locate RF emissions associated with drones and their control links, giving operators a passive method of identifying threats without transmitting signals of their own.
The order is connected to a Polish counter-UAS programme worth more than £30 million and places Metis technology inside a wider air-defence architecture led by Kongsberg. The sensors can be vehicle-mounted, deployed for static protection, or integrated into maritime and other operational environments, giving the system flexibility across land, base-protection, and infrastructure-security roles.
Ben Hewitt, Chief Commercial Officer at Metis, said: “Securing this contract with Kongsberg is a major achievement for Metis and reinforces the confidence placed in our technology by other leading defence partners. The SAN cUAS programme represents an important step forward in strengthening counter-drone capability in Poland and across the region.”
European defence planners are placing greater weight on layered counter-drone systems as small uncrewed aircraft become cheaper, more numerous, and more adaptable. Detection now carries as much urgency as defeat, because operators need enough time to distinguish genuine threats from clutter, classify the target, and choose a response that does not waste expensive effectors.
Passive RF sensing is gaining ground because it can identify drone activity without creating its own detectable emissions. That is valuable in contested environments, where electronic signatures can expose the defender, and in static protection roles where persistent monitoring is required. RF sensors can sit alongside radar, electro-optics, acoustic systems, and electronic-warfare tools in a layered architecture.
The integration work behind counter-UAS capability is becoming increasingly complex. Sensors, command software, vehicles, effectors, communications links, and operator interfaces all need to behave as one system. If detection data cannot be fused and acted upon quickly, individual sensor performance is of limited value.
That requirement is reshaping defence electronics. Suppliers are being asked to deliver compact hardware, low-power operation, ruggedised designs, secure data handling, and rapid integration into larger architectures. The same pressure is visible in the shift towa