The device was first shown by the company NT Service (based in Kaunas, Lithuania) in the 2019 Security and Counter Terror Exhibition in London.[1] In partnership with Israeli company Skylock, NT Service also produces the system under the name "Skybeam".[4]
The device can be carried by one person. The operator points the device at the UAV and activates it to disrupt the UAV's communications out to a range of 3–5 km (2–3 mi), as well as its satellite navigation capabilities. Depending on the UAV's level of autonomy, it may then fall out of the sky, make a controlled landing, return to an earlier waypoint, or continue operating normally.[1]
The device can have 4 or 6 antennas. By default there are two antennas for the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands, with a power of 10 W each, one antenna for the GPS 1.5 GHz band with a power of 10 W, and one antenna for the GLONASS 1.5 GHz band with a power of 10 W.[3]
The device is made of aluminium, with the "gun" portion being modelled after the Heckler & Koch G36rifle[5] – including a trigger to activate the device and optics for sighting. It weighs 5.5 kg and measures 1050 × 220 × 360 mm with the stock extended (830 × 220 × 360 mm without the stock extended). It is powered by a 24 V battery, which can last for up to 60 minutes.[2][1]
Operational history
The EDM4S-UA version of the device – at a unit cost of US$15,000 – was first used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against the Russian separatist drones in Donbas in 2021 as part of the Russo-Ukrainian War. It has since seen further use in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, neutralizing the Russian drones such as the Eleron-3.[6][7][8] In June 2022, Lithuania donated 110 units to Ukraine at a cost of €1.5 million (US$1.56 million).[9]
