Archer Closes
Bolt Fires
A two-tier kinetic defeat system for Group 1/2 drone threats. Carrier UAS closes to optimal range. Sub-interceptors fire and guide themselves. Sub-$10,000 per shot.
The cost-exchange ratio is broken.
Every fielded interceptor costs more than the drone it is designed to kill. At that math, the attacker wins by running you out of ammunition.
$175,000 to kill a $1,000 drone
A Coyote Block 2 costs up to $175K per engagement. That is a 175:1 ratio in the attacker's favor. At scale, unsustainable.
Fiber-optic guidance defeats jamming
Standard EW does not work when the drone is controlled by a physical fiber tether. Kinetic intercept is the only reliable defeat mechanism.
No Group 1 program of record
C-UAS has no program of record for Group 1 kinetic defeat. The Army's November 2025 RFI explicitly signals this gap.
400+ Shaheds per day scaling to 1,000
Shahed production is scaling rapidly. Swarm saturation is deliberate doctrine. Defenses that cannot keep up will be overwhelmed.
Cost per shot against a $1,000 drone. Bar length is proportional to cost. Competitor figures are estimates from public sources.
Closing the range is what makes a $10,000 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
Uncooled LWIR thermal imaging fused with 77 GHz mmWave radar. AI detects by shape and motion. No ground radar needed at terminal.
Sub-$10K per Shot
Archer closes to 100–600m before firing. Shorter range means smaller motor, lighter airframe, cheaper guidance. The architecture enables the economics.
Platform-Agnostic Rail
Same Bolt round fires from quadcopter, delta wing, vehicle mount, or fixed site. One logistics chain.
Operator Decision: Engage
Three choices: ignore, monitor, or engage. The system surfaces one alert with a recommendation. Everything after authorization is autonomous.
Kinetic Only, No Warhead
No explosive fill. Minimal collateral risk. Lower test range requirements. ATF hazmat burden removed.
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.
Bolt Effector Sensor
Dual-mode seeker package purpose-built for terminal homing on small UAS targets. Optimized for minimal SWaP while maintaining detection and tracking performance through endgame maneuver.
Wide-Area Sensor Payload
Higher-power variant for ground-based or platform-mounted C-UAS detection and tracking. Extended range and fidelity for layered defense architectures. Compatible with third-party systems via standard interface.
AI-at-the-Edge Fusion
Both modules share a common processing backbone: dual-mode sensing fused through edge AI that classifies targets by shape and motion signature. Reduced false alarm rate. All inference runs onboard.
Sensor payloads are configurable for integration onto third-party platforms under licensing or CRADA agreements. Contact us for interface control documentation.
From detection to intercept in seconds.
Engagement sequence, side view. Not to scale.
Archer on Station
Carrier UAS loiters at altitude with onboard sensors active. Quadcopter for urban terrain. Delta wing for open patrol.
Threat Detected & Classified
Onboard EO/IR and radar detect the target. Edge AI classifies the threat. System surfaces engagement recommendation.
Operator Authorizes
One decision: engage. The system does the rest. Release authority stays with the operator throughout.
Archer Closes, Bolt Fires
Archer closes to 100–600m optimal geometry. Ejector charge separates Bolt from rail. SRM ignites at safe standoff.
Seeker Acquires, PN Guides
Dual-mode seeker locks within 2–3 seconds. Sensor fusion combines thermal and radar data. Autonomous terminal guidance drives to kinetic intercept.
Kinetic Impact. Archer Repositions.
Kinetic kill at 300–600+ mph. No warhead. Archer is already moving to next engagement or returning to station.
Built for the Group 1/FPV threat.
Bolt airframe layout, side view. Dimensions are design targets.
Seeker and guidance internals are shared with program offices and partners under NDA.
The only kinetic interceptor purpose-built for Group 1.
| System | Cost/Shot | Target | Speed | Radar Dep. | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tube-launched interceptor | $100K–$175K | Grp 1–3 | 500+ mph | Varies | 100–175:1 |
| Rotary-wing interceptor | $15K–$50K | Grp 1–2 | ~100 mph | No | 15–50:1 |
| Radar-guided interceptor | ~$20K | Grp 1–2 | Not published | Yes (cont.) | ~20:1 |
| Propeller-driven interceptor | ~$10K | Grp 1–2 | ~80 mph | No | ~10:1 |
| Martel Defense Bolt | <$10K | Grp 1/FPV | 300–600+ mph | No | <10:1 |
Rows represent fielded and announced systems. Pricing is estimated from public sources. Contact us for the named, system-by-system comparison.
Every component is in production today.
No component requires development from scratch. The innovation is in the integration: dual-mode sensor fusion, autonomous edge guidance, and the carrier architecture that enables sub-$10K unit cost.
Seeker: EO/IR
Uncooled LWIR thermal imaging detects drone signatures in total darkness, smoke, and adverse weather. Purpose-selected for low SWaP.
- 640×512 resolution, 60 Hz
- Classified under EAR, not ITAR
- 20g class, <1W power draw
Seeker: mmWave Radar
77 GHz FMCW radar provides range and velocity measurement independent of lighting or thermal conditions. All-weather complement to EO/IR.
- Centimeter-class range resolution
- Doppler velocity measurement
- Commercial chipset available
AI Inference
Edge AI accelerator runs detection and classification at high frame rates entirely onboard. No datalink required for terminal engagement.
- Detection and classification at 150+ FPS
- <3W power draw
- Sub-10 ms inference latency
Sensor Fusion
Radar and EO/IR fused into single real-time state estimate for the guidance loop. Maintains track quality through terminal maneuver.
- Radar: high-quality range data
- EO: precise angular tracking
- 40+ Hz track update rate
Propulsion
Solid rocket motor sized for Group 1 engagement envelope. Kinetic-only defeat eliminates warhead, fuzing, and hazmat requirements.
- Motor sizing complete, type selected
- No explosive fill
- Domestic COTS propellant
Guidance
Autonomous terminal guidance with proportional navigation. Strapdown design eliminates gimbaled seeker. GPS-denied capable.
- No moving seeker parts
- <25 ms guidance loop
- Resilient to GPS denial
Bench demo in Q3 2026. Live intercept by early 2027.
Architecture Defined, Hardware Stack Selected
Two-tier CONOPS validated. All key components selected and procurement initiated. AFRL Sources Sought and DIU solution brief submitted. SRM sizing complete in OpenMotor.
Seeker Bench Demo & Fin Actuation Test
LWIR, mmWave, and edge AI fusion pipeline benchmarked against drone targets. Electromechanical actuators driving canard surfaces with closed guidance loop.
SBIR Phase I Submission
Simulation data, seeker bench results, and bottom-up cost model ready for Army and/or Air Force counter-UAS topics.
Live Intercept Test
End-to-end kinetic intercept against representative Group 1 target on test range. Pending range access and ATF licensing.
SBIR Phase II & Archer Integration
Prototype seeker and guidance stack integrated with Archer carrier UAS, delta wing and quadcopter variants. STRATFI match from operational unit.
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 three engineers with backgrounds at Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Blue Origin, and Collins Aerospace, covering guided weapons development, propulsion, flight systems, AI, embedded systems, and electrical engineering.
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.