Ukrainian defense technology company Phantom Defense has acquired Karakurt, a developer of physical drone interception systems. The transaction involves the full acquisition of the company's business and team. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Phantom Defense plans to scale Karakurt's technology, designed to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including drones controlled via fiber-optic cables. According to the company, Ukrainian military personnel have deployed more than 50,000 Karakurt kits over the past six months. One crew from Ukraine's State Border Guard Service has used the systems to intercept more than 500 drones.
Karakurt's technology works by launching a specialized net that entangles a drone's rotors. This causes the UAV to fall without detonating, allowing it to be recovered for further examination or potential reuse.
According to Phantom Defense, each net deployment costs approximately $25. By comparison, the base model of the DJI Mavic 4 Pro retails for $2,199 in the United States. The company estimates that, assuming a 50% hit rate, the cost of a successful interception is approximately 44 times lower than the price of the target drone.
The Karakurt product line includes modules compatible with DJI Mavic and Matrice drones, Autel platforms, FPV drones, and specialized carriers. Some modules weigh as little as 201 grams.
In parallel, Phantom Defense has unveiled Mangal, an automated net-based drone interception system designed to engage UAVs at distances of 5–15 meters. The system can be mounted on military vehicles, fixed positions, and unmanned ground platforms. It uses artificial intelligence, daylight cameras, and thermal imaging sensors to detect aerial targets. According to the company, the system takes approximately one second from target detection to net launch. The installation is equipped with six net launchers and can operate autonomously for at least eight hours.
Phantom Defense views mergers and acquisitions as one of its business development tools and plans to continue identifying promising technologies and engineering teams. The acquisition of Karakurt will enable the company to expand its physical drone interception capabilities and integrate new technologies, engineering expertise, and operational experience into its broader ecosystem.
Phantom Defense is a Ukrainian DefenceTech company specializing in the development of integrated counter-UAV systems. Its technologies span electronic warfare, aerial target detection and tracking, kinetic drone interception, as well as situational awareness and command-and-control platforms.
The company employs more than 850 people and operates nine production facilities that collectively manufacture more than 100 interceptor drones and 200 electronic warfare devices per day. Phantom Defense's portfolio includes the Specter and Streamhunter electronic warfare systems, the Balaban and Blade interceptor drones, and the Mangal net-based interception system.
According to the company, its integrated systems have detected more than 11,000 hostile UAVs, with over 7,000 successful neutralizations confirmed by video footage. Phantom Defense also participated in trials under the U.S. Army's Drone Dominance program, during which Ukrainian electronic warfare systems were tested for their ability to withstand interference from U.S. drones.
