On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, German company Mehler Protection, part of Mehler Systems, unveiled at the SMM 2026 maritime trade fair in Hamburg, which runs through September 4, a new active counter-UAS system developed specifically to protect naval vessels against close-range threats, designated SCILT NAVAL. Earlier this year, the company presented the baseline SCILT system in a configuration for land vehicles.
Images: Mehler Protection
According to the manufacturer, the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems is evolving. Recent conflicts have shown that even heavily armed warships can be vulnerable to attacks by small, low-cost drone systems employed in large numbers, for example as swarms. Although modern naval forces operate powerful air-defense systems capable of engaging threats at long range, significant challenges remain in the close- and very-short-range protection domain. This applies in particular to ports, navigation through confined waterways such as canals, amphibious operations, the decks of amphibious vessels and fixed offshore installations.
The SCILT Naval system was developed specifically for this immediate-threat zone, where large-scale air-defense systems and formation-level counter-drone solutions may no longer be able to respond effectively.
It serves as an active last line of defense for individual vessels, bridging the gap between passive protection and large-scale air defense. The system is designed to counter small unmanned aerial systems, including FPV drones, kamikaze drones, one-way attack (OWA) drones and loitering munitions, and can engage both individual threats and multiple simultaneous attacks at close range.
Effectors, sensors and control elements are integrated directly onboard. The sensor suite includes electro-optical systems and additional short-range sensors for threat detection and operational decision support. In its initial configuration, the system operates according to a man-in-the-loop architecture. Further automation is planned as certification requirements and operational procedures allow.
The system uses three alert levels – detection, approach and attack – and employs commercially available standard ammunition types as effectors, including 12/70 shotgun ammunition. Compared with the land-based version, SCILT Naval offers a greater effective range and automatic reloading. Its effectors range from tungsten-carbide fragmentation rounds to armor-piercing ammunition.
SCILT Naval can be integrated with a vessel’s existing command-and-control systems and sensors. If no suitable interface is available, the system can also operate autonomously using its own detection and engagement chain. Additional control units and displays can be installed at multiple locations inside the vessel, providing the crew with access to situational information and system controls as required.
The SCILT Naval system was developed over a period of approximately 18 months. A series of 48 tests examined factors including outdoor ballistic trials and final testing, firing safety and fragment-density measurements, as well as the effects of the maritime environment, such as salt fog, corrosion, vibration and wave impact. The results were used to determine the optimum effective range and effector configuration.
SCILT Naval expands Mehler Protection’s existing portfolio of platform armor solutions for land, air and maritime applications. The company supplies protection solutions for helicopters, land vehicles and naval systems, and is a key supplier for several German Navy (Deutsche Marine) vessels currently under construction.
Press release
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