Safran Unveils Skyjacker Counter-Drone Solution at Eurosatory 2024

Safran Electronics & Defense announced the launch of its Skyjacker counter-drone solution at the ongoing Eurosatory-2024 exhibition in Paris.

Skyjacker addresses the growing threat posed by drones in battlespaces and sensitive installations through its spoofing capability, which alters the trajectory of a drone by simulating GNSS signals.

Skyjacker replaces hostile drones' satellite guidance signals with modified signals, disrupting or interrupting their missions. It is designed to counter saturation attacks, such as swarming drones, and isolated drones piloted remotely. The system operates effectively at ranges from 1 to 10 kilometers (over 6 miles).

Skyjacker incorporates radar detection and optronic identification, allowing it to defeat drones in land and naval environments. Its modular design includes a Command and Control (C2) unit and one or more spoofing transmitters. It can be integrated with sensors like optronic sights, radars, and radiofrequency detectors, as well as effectors such as lasers and communication jammers. Skyjacker can be deployed as a mobile unit or connected with existing surveillance and fire control systems on land vehicles or naval vessels.

For the initial mobile version of Skyjacker, Safran Electronics & Defense partnered with Hologarde, which designed the Bassalt anti-drone system for the French Air and Space Force. Skyjacker was demonstrated at the Coubertin LAD II exercise organized by the Air and Space Force’s Air Defense and Air Operations Command (CDAOA) at Air Base 107 in Vélizy-Villacoublay, near Paris, in March 2024.

“We’re now working to deploy Skyjacker as part of the counter-drone protection capability for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Alexandre Ziegler, Executive VP of the Defense Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense. “Trials with the French Navy have also proved particularly conclusive, confirming Skyjacker’s suitability as a highly effective, cost-controlled protection solution for frontline vessels.”