Czech firm develops patrol drone armed with interceptors

Czech company KBP International has unveiled GRYF, a long-endurance drone designed to carry interceptor drones and small missiles aloft so it can hunt down hostile unmanned aircraft, presenting the aircraft on Oct. 21, 2026, at the Future Forces Forum in Prague in the presence of Czech President Petr Pavel.

GRYF works as a flying weapons carrier: the aircraft itself is not the weapon but a platform that patrols for long periods and brings counter-drone effectors into position, where they can be launched at incoming threats. KBP said the platform is built for long-endurance operations as a carrier for interceptors and mission-specific payloads, as part of a layered approach to air defense.

The company told visitors at the unveiling that GRYF can stay airborne for up to 12 hours and has an operational range of 500 km (310 miles). The drone is powered by a four-cylinder piston engine, cruises at 150 km/h (93 mph) and has four hardpoints with a maximum payload of 50 kg (110 pounds), Militarnyi reported from the show floor, enough to carry a lightweight interceptor missile of around 5 kg (11 pounds) on each hardpoint.

KBP displayed GRYF in two configurations at the Prague exhibition, one armed with small interceptor missiles and the other with interceptor drones, showing that the same airframe can switch between effectors depending on the mission.

The company presented the aircraft as an answer to the demand for effective and affordable ways to protect airspace against drones. Using a cheap, long-endurance carrier to loiter near a protected area and release small interceptors is intended to engage drones at a lower cost per shot than firing conventional ground-based air defense missiles, while extending coverage beyond the reach of fixed sites.

GRYF draws on KBP Group’s more than 30 years of experience building composite aircraft structures. The group combines in-house design and production of unmanned aircraft, piston aero engines and advanced manufacturing, and it says it can handle the full process from initial design and prototyping to series production of key drone components. KBP is expanding its facilities to support both its own products and work with other European aerospace and defense manufacturers.

The company used the same Prague exhibition to show two one-way attack drones, the piston-powered TARON and the jet-powered SABRE. KBP International was also a main partner of this year’s Future Forces Forum, the 16th edition of the event, which brought together around 530 exhibitors and official delegations from 65 countries at the PVA Expo Prague exhibition grounds.

KBP’s announcement focused on the platform’s design and role, with production timelines and first customers for GRYF still to be announced as the company moves the new carrier beyond its public debut.