Swedish defence manufacturer Saab has unveiled its latest anti-drone weapon, in the shape of the relatively low-cost Nimbrix Very Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) missile.
The weapon is intended to be a fire and forget missile featuring - in its initial form at least - an infra-red sensor and optimised to engage targets at a range of between two and five kilometres.
According to Saab, Nimbrix is intended to work either individually or as part of a layered defence system and plugs a gap between gun systems and medium-range hard-kill effectors such as its RBS70NG missile in terms of range.
“It is an easy to operate missile that has been purpose-built for CUAS, it is easily deployable and is man-portable, but it can also be integrated into layered systems,” a Saab spokesperson said. “CUAS weapons need to be available in volume, reliable – one shot, one kill – and adaptable to stay abreast of the threat.”
While specific details are scant, Saab says Nimbrix will be “less than a metre” in length and will weigh less than three kilograms, while being relatively cheap to acquire. The warhead is a high explosive, blast-fragmentation type, but its size was not revealed at the launch.
“Nimbrix is our answer to the unmanned aerial threats which have escalated in the last few years,” Saab’s Head of Missile Systems, Stefan Öberg, said in a statement.
“It is cost-effective which is critical given the proliferation of UAS’ on the battlefield. Nimbrix benefits from our long experience in air defence, together with an agile way of responding to new needs.”
Development of the weapon began in 2024, and it was most recently trialled by the Swedish Armed Forces during Exercise Baltic Trust in July. Saab says it is now ready to market Nimbrix and is already in serious discussions with a number of potential customers.
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026 and the manufacturer says it is open to establishing production in customer nations.