The French startup Harmattan AI is testing an experimental anti-aircraft drone called Gobi, designed to destroy enemy drones weighing up to 600 kg. This is reported by Defense Express. The uniqueness of the device lies in the fact that it does not have a warhead - its task is to deliver a precise ramming strike to break the target's propeller.
The drone accelerates to 250 km/h and can intercept UAVs at a distance of up to 5 km. The system is fully autonomous: Gobi is launched automatically on command from a ground-based airspace scanner, after which it heads to the interception point with radio command control. At the final stage, the infrared and radar homing system is turned on. Using computer vision, the drone independently determines the impact point and corrects the trajectory.
It is not yet known whether the drone has its own radar system or receives data from ground-based facilities. It should also be noted that the homing system, which is based on finite visual analysis, requires clear recognition of the point of impact. This means that its effectiveness may decrease in conditions of limited visibility, including fog, snowfall, rain or cloud cover.
The Gobi is a disposable and cost-effective solution as it has no warhead, reducing its weight and cost. As of July 2025, the drone is undergoing testing and has already demonstrated the ability to ram a target with high accuracy, as confirmed by the video below.