German firm unveils 360-degree active defense against drone threats

German company Mehler Protection has developed SCILT, a 360-degree active defense system designed to protect battlefield vehicles such as tanks, APCs, and IFVs from close-range drone threats. SCILT employs modular effector units equipped with scalable shotgun-calibre munitions—ranging from non-lethal rubber rounds to armor-piercing tungsten-carbide projectiles—to intercept and neutralize small drones, including FPV drones, kamikaze drones, and loitering munitions. The system provides full coverage, including top-attack angles, and is intended as a last protective layer bridging the gap between traditional mobile air defense systems and passive vehicle armor. The system integrates sensors, including electro-optical units, and operating logic directly onto vehicles, enabling detection, approach warning, and engagement of multiple simultaneous drone threats from lateral, frontal, and low-angle directions. SCILT is controlled via the vehicle’s data bus and supports a man-in-the-loop operation with plans for increased automation in future versions