IAI unveils HawkGuard, a kinetic drone interceptor with a 1,000-metre range, at AUSA 2026

TLDR

• Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled HawkGuard, a drone interceptor that destroys drones by direct impact rather than an explosive warhead.¹²
• IAI says a warhead-free interceptor reduces blast risk, giving operators a lower-collateral-damage option near people and infrastructure.¹
• It engages targets out to 1,000 metres with automatic 360-degree coverage.¹

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled HawkGuard, a new active protection system designed to detect, track, and intercept hostile drones through direct kinetic impact, at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C.¹² Also designated ELI-5035, the system adds a kinetic interception layer to IAI's broader, multi-layered counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) architecture.¹

HawkGuard pairs IAI's StormGuard (ELM-2135) X-band active electronically scanned array radar with an electro-optical sensor, a drone launch system, and an AI-enabled mission computer to detect, classify, and track aerial threats.¹ Rather than relying on an explosive warhead, it deploys interceptor drones that destroy targets through direct physical impact, which IAI says reduces blast and secondary-effect risks near friendly forces, populated areas, and critical infrastructure.¹ The company says the system provides automatic 360-degree coverage and can engage threats including drones, swarms, and loitering munitions at distances up to 1,000 metres, operating fully autonomously or with a human operator, while stationary or moving, and in GPS-denied environments.¹

The system is compatible with ELTA Systems' M3S2 (ELI-3312) Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor Suite, allowing operators who already use that suite to add HawkGuard's interceptors and mission software without replacing existing infrastructure.¹ Its compact, modular design supports mounting on armoured vehicles and other mobile platforms to protect manoeuvring ground forces, as well as fixed-site defence of installations such as power plants, airports, and offshore assets.¹² IAI CEO Guy Bar Lev said the system reflects a vision of "a layered and adaptable defense architecture that protects forces across the full spectrum of threats," and ELTA Systems CEO Dror Bar said HawkGuard "gives operators an additional tool within a broader layered defense concept."²

Why it matters: a warhead-free, impact-only interceptor gives operators a lower-collateral-damage option for shooting down drones near people and infrastructure, and its compatibility with ELTA's existing sensor suite means current customers can add the capability without buying a whole new system.