Sweden launches challenge to counter drone swarms

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has launched its latest challenge under the Military Innovation Challenge for Ukraine initiative, seeking to identify capabilities that can counter drone swarms.  

The challenge – announced on 11 March – is based on priorities identified by Ukraine and follows the inaugural ‘Countermeasures for Aircraft’ challenge launched under the initiative last year. 

“Civilian-powered” solutions, which can continuously defend moving crewed and uncrewed ground vehicles against swarms of drones are being called for.

Each company interested in the challenge can submit up to two proposed solutions, although they must be at a “relatively high degree of maturity” to meet the 12-month production timeline, the FMV said. 

Applications for the challenge are open on Sweden’s Kommers Annons procurement portal until 8 April, with a first wave of down selections taking place on 29 May. 

Successful companies will receive funding to further develop their technical solutions. 

The technologies will then be further assessed against their “military relevance to Ukraine’s challenges and needs”, alongside cost effectiveness and wider feasibility considerations. 

The FMV is looking to place development contracts worth up to SEK20 million (GBP1.61 million) per solution and progress to production within twelve months. Solutions will need to be “producible and usable by and in Ukraine”. 

Participants are expected to be “ready for series delivery” in Q4 of 2027, with potential for a future contract to fulfil either an order or a donation of the solutions to Ukraine.