Kitron counter-drone deal signals deeper push into layered air defence

Kitron has secured a contract worth approximately 16 million euro to produce ground station equipment for counter-unmanned aerial systems.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026 and will be manufactured at the company’s European facilities. The award strengthens Kitron’s order intake within its defence and aerospace segment.

Who the buyer is remains undisclosed.

Under the contract, Kitron will produce and deliver ground-based command, control and launch systems. These form part of a layered counter-unmanned aerial systems architecture, according to a company stock exchange announcement.

The equipment is intended to detect, manage and neutralise unmanned aerial vehicles.

Kitron said demand for counter-drone capabilities is increasing across both military and security applications. This is driving the development of more complex systems that integrate sensors, command and control, and a range of countermeasures.

- The counter-unmanned aerial systems market is developing rapidly, and our customers need a partner that can match this pace and flexibility. This order demonstrates our ability to mobilise quickly and scale capacity for ground station solutions to meet demand, says Mindaugas Sestokas, executive vice president for Central and Eastern Europe at Kitron.

He added that the systems constitute critical infrastructure technology, where reliability and quality are essential.

The contract contributes to increased order intake within Kitron’s defence and aerospace segment. In recent years, the company has expanded its focus on this market, including electronics manufacturing for defence systems, communications and advanced sensor technologies.

The order also aligns with Kitron’s long-term objective of increasing revenue to 1.5 billion euro, a target presented at its capital markets day in December 2025.

This article was first published in Defence Nordic's affiliate publication Metalsupply.no.