// Anti-Shahed Interceptor Drone
Sting
- Manufacturer
- Wild Hornets
Key specifications
- Top speed of 343 km/h (213 mph)
- AI-assisted thermal terminal guidance
- Unit cost ≈ $2,000–2,500 vs. six-figure missile interceptors
Sting / Wild Hornets
Overview
The Sting was purpose-built to solve a problem that conventional air defense struggles with economically: shooting down cheap, slow-flying kamikaze drones without burning a $500,000 missile on a $50,000 target. It closes at speeds fast enough to run down most long-range attack drones and uses thermal imaging with AI-assisted guidance to acquire and track its target autonomously in the final seconds of intercept, when human reaction time is too slow. Interceptor drones like this one have become responsible for the majority of intercepted aerial threats in recent months, marking a genuine shift in how low-cost drone warfare can be countered — a capability set that translates directly to any country facing swarming drone threats to bases, ports, or cities.
