X-Bow to help solve air defence cost problem
X-Bow, manufacturers of solid rocket motors, have been awarded an $11 million contract to build low cost interceptors – solving the problem of sending million-dollar missiles against thousand-dollar drones
DRONE CLASSES
Group 5:  Weight >600kg
Altitude >5.5km
Maximum speed – any
MQ-9 Reaper
Group 4:  >600 kg
Altitude <5.5km
Speed - any
MQ-1C Grey Eagle
Group 3:  25-600kg 
Altitude 1-5.5km
Speed: 185-465km/h
Shahed-136 (Iran)
Warhead: 30-50kg
Speed: 185km/h
Unit cost
$20,000-$50,000
Gerbera (Russia)
$10,000
Group 2: 9.5-25 kg
Altitude <1km
Speed <465km/h
Group 1:  <9 kg
<0.36km
<185km/h
INTERCEPTORS
FIM-92 STINGER
Short-range surface-to-air missile
$120,000
X-BOW BUCKLER
Under $100,000
Supersonic, suitable for Group 3 drones and low-end cruise missiles
Scalability: Airframe, rocket motor, and propellant made in-house
Solid-rocket motor
PAC-3 PATRIOT
Speed Mach 5
$4 million
AIM-9X SIDEWINDER
Supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile
$400,000
Sources: X-Bow, Army Recognition, TWZ
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