German troops test Auterion’s Talon drone interceptor

Auterion, the drone software company best known for the autonomy systems inside thousands of Ukrainian strike drones, has shown its Talon interceptor on a test range with Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, saying the system is built to take on both single drones and swarms.

Footage released by the company this week shows several German soldiers in Flecktarn camouflage working with the system on an open airfield, with one soldier firing the Talon interceptor drone into the air from a special rifle-style launcher fitted with an optical sight, while another soldier standing nearby guides the drone onto its target after launch.

Auterion did not say where or when the trials took place, which Bundeswehr unit was involved, or whether Talon destroyed any targets during the tests, and the company has given few technical details about the interceptor itself.

In the way it is used, Talon resembles Russia’s Yolka, a small interceptor drone that Russian troops fire from a handheld launcher at an aerial target that has already been spotted, and which uses an optical seeker and an onboard AI module to track its target out to about 3 km (1.9 miles) at speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph), although Yolka is described as a largely fire-and-forget weapon, while the Talon footage shows a second soldier steering the drone after launch.

Screengrab from video posted to social media

Auterion’s chief executive, Lorenz Meier, described the company’s approach to interceptors in July, saying the first version would be simple enough for a soldier to point the interceptor at an identified target and launch it, with later versions moving into vehicle launchers, deeper integration with air defense networks and fixed installations to protect sites such as airports, stadiums and government buildings.

The company, which has a major hub in Munich, has been growing its business in Germany through a joint venture with Ukrainian drone maker Airlogix that was formed in February 2026 with backing from the German and Ukrainian governments, and the venture began serial production in September of more than 5,000 Seth X and Anubis strike drones under a German government-funded contract, using Auterion software for AI-guided terminal navigation and flight without satellite navigation.

Germany is buying several layers of counter-drone defense at once, and in November 2025 the Bundestag’s budget committee approved about €490 million (about $546 million) for MBDA’s DefendAir short-range anti-drone missile, while the Bundeswehr has also signed contracts for interceptor drones with other companies, such as TYTAN Technologies.