Decpt focuses on UAS as battlefield realities reshape demand

A Danish scale-up is repositioning its technology around a simple operational reality emerging from Ukraine: survivability of systems is no longer the primary objective - persistence is.

Decpt, based in Nivå north of Copenhagen, develops nanostructured foils designed to reduce the detectability of military assets, particularly against thermal and short-wavelength sensors.

Its products are applied directly to platforms as a thin, adaptable layer, intended to degrade detection, delay identification and complicate targeting.

The war in Ukraine showed us that the foil is particularly suited to disposable system

Jeanette Hvam, CEO, Decpt

After three years of development, and informed by operational feedback from Ukraine, the company is now increasingly targeting unmanned systems operating on land and at sea.

- The war in Ukraine showed us that the foil is particularly suited to disposable systems, says chief executive Jeanette Hvam speaking to Defence Nordic.

A broader shift

The company’s trajectory reflects a broader shift in defence procurement and operations.

As unmanned and expendable systems proliferate, signature management is increasingly treated not as a fixed platform feature, but as an adaptable and potentially consumable layer - one that must evolve as quickly as the threats it is designed to counter.

This also marks a shift away from the company’s initial focus on larger platforms such as armoured vehicles, Hvam tells Defence Nordic.

Instead, Decpt is targeting systems designed with limited lifespans, where marginal gains in survivability can translate into operational impact.

- The war in Ukraine is, in many ways, a war of disposables. An unmanned evacuation vehicle may last four missions on average. Extending that by even one mission can make a significant difference, Hvam explains.

The company’s core offering consists of two related products: Camofoil, a field-applied, updateable layer that can be adapted to specific platforms, systems and equipment and environments, a nanostructured foil that reduces thermal and short-wavelength signatures.

- It is effectively an add-on layer that provides additional protection, says Hvam noting that Decpt can update and customise the foils within weeks, rather than years:

- Its a major advantage in todays warfare:

This adaptability is central to the company’s model.

Its a major advantage in todays warfare

Jeanette Hvam, CEO, Decpt

Platform and environment specific customer requests varies - from colour and surface properties to adhesive performance and durability - depending on whether the foil is applied to a static object, a maritime drone or a manoeuvring ground system, or hot-spots

A solution designed specifically for static, large surface area objects such containers, for example, cannot be transferred directly to a mobile unmanned platform operating under different circumstances and in a different environment without slight customization.

- New versions are released every second month based on end-user feedback and customer requests, says Jeanette Hvam.

Ukrainian presence

The emphasis on rapid iteration is reinforced by the company’s presence in Ukraine, where it maintains an office.

- We learn a great deal from being close to the theatre of war. It allows us to adapt quickly based on real battlefield experience, Hvam says.

Decpt was established in 2022 as a spin-off from Danish company Inmold, which had developed a nanoprinting technology with potential defence applications.

Hvam, who holds a PhD in materials physics, joined to further develop and scale the technology and commercialise the concept.

- For the first two years with excessive R&D, we were two and a half employees, she says.

Since then, things have moved fast.

As of April 2026, the company has expanded across engineering, marketing and finance functions, supported by grants and investor backing.

It is planning to invest four million US dollars in new machinery to scale production capacity in both size, volume, technology and reduced lead-times.

The company is also preparing to introduce a version of the foil incorporating patterned multi-cam appearance, in cooperation with the Danish armed forces, and radar concealment, supported by EDF.

Decpt is working with customers in Denmark and the US, with a significant share of current demand linked to Ukraine, Jeanette Hvam explains.

At the same time, the company is seeking to expand to other European markets.

- The United States is a priority market which to us, with an innovative product, has shown to offer more accessible and transparent procurement pathways compared with Europe’s fragmented national systems, Jeanette Hvam says.

Development contract

Decpt is executing a co-development contract with the US Department of Defense, which it hopes will enable a more smooth transition into a production agreement within the next few years.

I hope to expand our presence in Europe and the Nordics through partnerships.

Jeanette Hvam, CEO, Decpt

In parallel, the company is exploring partnerships with established European defence primes to improve market access, particularly through offset arrangements.

- I hope to expand our presence in Europe and the Nordics through partnerships. The solution being platform agnostic, there is clear potential for closer cooperation, Hvam says.