MBDA Unveils Sea Warden at Euronaval 2024: The Future of Naval Defence Against Drone Threats
At Euronaval 2024, MBDA, a key player in European defense, revealed Sea Warden, a comprehensive and modular counter-drone defense system crafted to secure naval assets against aerial and surface drone threats. With its debut, MBDA introduces a new level of maritime protection technology tailored to counter uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). Sea Warden builds on the foundation laid by MBDA’s counter-uncrewed aerial systems solution, Sky Warden, extending protection to encompass both airborne and sea-based drone threats.
Sea Warden emerges as an answer to the heightened challenges faced in the global maritime domain, where vessels—from merchant ships to warships—face risks from a variety of uncrewed threats. With its cutting-edge design, Sea Warden is structured to evolve rapidly in line with the pace of drone technology, ensuring that it remains battle-ready against new and more complex threats. In addition to the increasing sophistication of anti-ship weaponry, asymmetric threats like drones now represent a unique challenge in maintaining maritime security. “Sea Warden is the response to the need for self-protection of merchant vessels and warships, now and in the future,” MBDA explained at the unveiling.
The modular design of Sea Warden enables it to handle multiple threat scenarios across various maritime settings—whether in port or at sea. This adaptability is integral to its design, allowing it to detect, classify, and neutralize UAV and USV threats up to class 2. Its architecture allows for integration with existing combat systems or deployment as a standalone system, making it adaptable to any naval or offshore platform. Highlighting its uniqueness, MBDA emphasizes that Sea Warden is currently the only solution capable of executing a full-spectrum defense from threat detection through to neutralization. As MBDA describes it, Sea Warden is “the only battle-ready system to manage the full counter-UAV (C-UAV) and counter-USV (C-USV) kill chain.”
The system’s arsenal of sensors, which include radar, passive RF, and electro-optical cameras, enables precise threat identification and classification, ensuring the most suitable effector is deployed for optimal defense. Sea Warden’s effectors feature high-tech options such as the CILAS HELMA-P directed energy laser, which can neutralize threats with precision, hunter drones that can directly intercept and destroy targets, and advanced jammers. To address more advanced threats, Sea Warden also incorporates loitering munitions and missile systems like MISTRAL 3 and AKERON MP, extending its defensive reach.
With its open architecture, Sea Warden is highly flexible, designed to meet specific customer needs while staying agile in a rapidly changing threat environment. This approach enables MBDA to collaborate with partners and customers, enhancing Sea Warden’s capabilities as new threats emerge. By combining high-end technology with operational flexibility, Sea Warden embodies MBDA’s mission to provide adaptable solutions for the maritime sector. “MBDA is working with its partners to integrate capabilities to deliver the appropriate military effect,” the company noted, emphasizing the value of collaboration in extending Sea Warden’s reach.
MBDA’s unveiling of Sea Warden positions it as the leading European defense provider for naval-based air defense systems, uniquely covering the spectrum from basic drone threats to the most advanced aerial and surface threats. This innovation addresses a critical gap in maritime defense, equipping naval forces with a robust solution to meet the challenges of the modern threat landscape. Sea Warden’s readiness to defend vital assets underscores MBDA’s commitment to advancing maritime security and protecting global economic interests at sea.
