Zone 5 ‘found a spot’ in drone interceptor market with new Eclipse: CEO

The Eclipse is a new interceptor from defense startup Zone 5. It is designed to defend against high-speed drones. The company presents it as a lower-cost, reusable option. That matters because drone threats are becoming more capable, creating demand for defenses that can respond quickly without relying only on expensive missiles.

The platform uses modular payloads. Zone 5 says it can carry a high-powered microwave or a kinetic payload. It can also take off and land vertically. A displayed model measured 39 inches long and 32 inches wide, showing that the interceptor is larger than some smaller counter-drone systems but still relatively compact.

The Eclipse remains in development. CEO Thomas Akers expects about six more months of work before production begins. Zone 5 is initially targeting the American market and hopes to build hundreds each month. The final price will depend partly on the payload selected.

The Eclipse offers two different ways to defeat a drone. One option uses a high-powered microwave. The other uses a kinetic payload. This flexibility matters because different threats and missions may call for different effects, while one interceptor design can support both choices.

With the microwave configuration, the system can zap a drone’s electronics. That provides an electronic means of disabling the unmanned aircraft. With the kinetic configuration, the interceptor carries a payload intended to knock the drone out of the sky. The article does not provide further technical details about either payload.

Zone 5 calls the Eclipse a modular platform because its payload can change. That approach also affects the final price. The company has not announced an expected cost, saying potential payloads will influence it. The interceptor is still being developed and is expected to enter production after roughly six months.

The Eclipse is compact enough for a displayed model to measure 39 inches long and 32 inches wide. Yet its stated performance is substantial for a counter-drone interceptor. The company says it can exceed 200 knots, or 230 miles per hour, and reach over 30 miles.

The platform also supports vertical takeoff and landing. That feature is part of the company’s description of the system’s operating flexibility. Zone 5 has not disclosed a final price. The company says the selected payload will help determine the cost, whether the system carries a microwave or kinetic option.

Zone 5 expects about six more months of development before production. It is initially targeting the American market. The company aims to build hundreds of Eclipse interceptors each month. That planned output suggests Zone 5 sees counter-drone defense as a high-volume market, although the article gives no firm production contract or schedule.

Zone 5 believes the counter-drone market is moving toward smaller interceptors. But the company says those interceptors are being challenged by drones with greater speed and capability. That creates a need for a platform with more room and performance, without becoming too large for practical deployment.

The Eclipse is Zone 5’s answer. CEO Thomas Akers says the company found a place for a larger interceptor with modular payloads. The displayed model measured 39 inches long and 32 inches wide. It can carry either a high-powered microwave that zaps electronics or a kinetic payload that knocks a drone from the sky.

The approach also supports layered defenses and different customer needs. The Eclipse can take off and land vertically, exceed 200 knots, and reach over 30 miles. It remains in development, with production expected after roughly six months. Its price will vary with the selected payload.

Zone 5 describes the Eclipse as part of a layered defense portfolio. Layering means offering different systems for different threats and engagement needs. The Eclipse adds a reusable interceptor for high-speed drones, helping fill a role between smaller counter-drone tools and larger missile-based defenses.

The company’s Paladin system features a drone-mounted firearm. Its White Spike system is an anti-air missile. The Eclipse brings another option, with vertical takeoff and landing, speeds above 200 knots, and a range exceeding 30 miles. Its modular payloads can include a high-powered microwave or a kinetic payload.

Zone 5 also makes the Rusty Dagger cruise missile, which has been exported to Ukraine and ordered by the Pentagon. The company says it will remain focused on low-cost cruise missiles and technologies that defeat Group 1-4 drones. The Eclipse therefore broadens, rather than replaces, its existing portfolio.

Kongsberg’s acquisition could expand Zone 5’s reach beyond its previous American base. CEO Thomas Akers described the deal as an immediate step change in access to international resources. That matters for a company seeking to scale production of missiles and counter-drone systems.

Zone 5 still operates separately from Kongsberg in the United States. Globally, however, the companies present one unified front under the Kongsberg brand. Akers also said the Norwegian ownership gives Zone 5 access to a larger portfolio of vendors. Those suppliers could help expand supply chains beyond the United States.

The acquisition could support Zone 5’s production goals, but the article does not promise specific output from the deal. The company aims to produce thousands of missiles annually. It also plans to use Kongsberg resources to improve product lethality and survivability while continuing its focus on low-cost cruise missiles and Group 1-4 drone defenses.

Multi-year contracts matter because they give defense companies a clearer purchasing horizon. That visibility can support production planning, supplier commitments, and investment in manufacturing capacity. The article connects this issue to the Air Force’s plan to buy tens of thousands of affordable missiles through multi-year deals.

Zone 5 is among the potential FAMM vendors, alongside Anduril and CoAspire. The Air Force used One Big Beautiful Bill dollars to begin procurement in fiscal 2026. For fiscal 2027, however, it again relied on reconciliation to provide buying funds. Doubts about another reconciliation bill have weakened that prospect.

Akers warned that if multi-year procurement does not happen as scheduled, industry will receive a clear negative signal. He said an appropriations shortfall would cause a recoil felt beyond FAMM. That uncertainty could disrupt Zone 5’s plans to produce hundreds of Eclipse interceptors monthly and thousands of missiles annually.