Archer Closes
Bolt Fires
A two-tier kinetic defeat system for Group 1 and 2 drone threats. Carrier UAS closes to optimal range. Sub-interceptors fire and guide themselves. Sub-$6,000 per shot.
The cost-exchange ratio is broken.
Every fielded interceptor costs 30 to 350 times the drone it is designed to kill. At that math, the attacker wins by running you out of ammunition. And when the threat is fiber-guided, jamming does nothing. Kinetic defeat is the only reliable answer.
Cost per shot against a $500 FPV drone. Bar length is proportional to cost. Competitor figures are estimates from public sources.
Closing the range is what makes a $6,000 round possible.
The Archer carrier UAS closes to optimal range before Bolt fires. A shorter flyout means a smaller motor, a lighter airframe, and cheaper guidance. One operator covers a company-sized area.
300–600+ mph Intercept
SRM propulsion delivers closing speeds that catch the fastest FPV drones. No warhead needed. Kinetic energy does the work.
Dual-Mode Fire-and-Forget
The seeker locks before launch and guides itself to impact. No ground radar dependency.
Sub-$6K per Shot
Archer closes to 200m before firing. Shorter range means smaller motor, lighter airframe, cheaper guidance. The architecture enables the economics.
From detection to intercept in seconds.
Engagement sequence, side view. Not to scale.
One operator decision: engage. Everything after authorization is autonomous, and release authority stays with the operator throughout.
Built for the Group 1/2 threat, down to FPVs.
Full specifications are shared with program offices and partners under NDA.
Standalone sensor platforms for C-UAS.
Martel sensor payloads combine EO/IR imaging, mmWave radar, and edge AI into compact form factors. Integrated as the seeker on Bolt, or deployed as standalone modules on third-party platforms.
Sensor payloads are configurable for integration onto third-party platforms under licensing or CRADA agreements. Contact us for interface control documentation.
Built by engineers who have done this before.
Martel Defense is a defense technology startup founded by Caleb Ross to solve the cost-exchange ratio problem in counter-unmanned aircraft systems. The founding team is two engineers with backgrounds at Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Blue Origin, covering guided weapons development, propulsion, flight systems, AI, and embedded systems.
We are an early-stage company. The architecture is defined, the hardware stack is selected, and components are being procured for bench integration. We are pursuing non-dilutive funding through DoD SBIR/STTR, DIU commercial solutions openings, and AFWERX.
Every component in our system is sourced from NDAA Section 889-compliant domestic suppliers. Supply chain documentation available on request.
Let's talk.
We are talking with program offices, operational units, and development partners. If this addresses a real gap, we should be in a conversation.
caleb.ross@marteldefense.comFor letters of support, capability conversations, or partnership inquiries. Email reaches the same inbox as the form.