California-based Mach Industries has unveiled Dart, a next-generation counter-drone system designed to defeat Group 1–3 unmanned aerial systems, ranging from individual drones to coordinated swarm attacks.
The surface-to-air solution integrates proprietary ground-based radars with interceptor systems to detect, track, and neutralize aerial threats as they approach protected areas. Dart can be deployed on launch platforms, military vehicles, or fixed installations, and is scalable from a single unit to hundreds of systems operating in concert to counter large drone swarms.
An integrated sensor suite enables autonomous target cueing, allowing interceptors to be launched with minimal human intervention and significantly reducing response times. Mach Industries said the system was developed to address one of the central challenges in modern air defense—keeping interception costs lower than the value of the incoming threat.
Dart’s modular architecture allows the system to adapt to evolving aerial threats and supports high-volume manufacturing, with production envisioned at “millions-scale” in the future. Manufacturing is supported by Mach Industries’ Forge ecosystem, which consolidates design and production, enabling rapid prototyping, fast iteration, and reduced exposure to fragile supply chains.
According to the company, Dart was developed using simulations against known adversary assets and employs a vertically integrated approach to minimize cost while maximizing performance. The system is expected to enter operational service later this year.
