PROTECTION THAT RIDES WITH THE FLEET
Project Velum is Melas Defense Systems’ first development program, a vehicle-integrated counter-UAS system for protecting vehicles and fixed sites from small attack drones.
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SMALL DRONES CHANGED THE PROBLEM
Small attack drones are cheap, fast, and increasingly difficult to stop economically.
Electronic warfare is effective when there is a control link to disrupt. It does not solve the whole problem when a drone can navigate autonomously or carry its control over fiber.
Many of the vehicles carrying people, fuel, ammunition, and other critical equipment were never built with organic counter-UAS protection.
Velum is being developed for that gap.
Melas is pre-prototype. The design is documented and a patent application has been filed. The next step is prototype fabrication and test.
Electronic warfare is effective when there is a control link to disrupt. It does not solve the whole problem when a drone can navigate autonomously or carry its control over fiber.
Many of the vehicles carrying people, fuel, ammunition, and other critical equipment were never built with organic counter-UAS protection.
Velum is being developed for that gap.
Melas is pre-prototype. The design is documented and a patent application has been filed. The next step is prototype fabrication and test.
Feature
What Makes It Different
Velum is designed around four constraints that determine whether a counter-UAS system
can actually be fielded.
can actually be fielded.
01
Rides the fleet
Designed to integrate with vehicles already in the formation rather than requiring another dedicated platform.
02
Keeps the primary weapon
Adds counter-UAS capability without displacing the vehicle’s existing combat system.
03
Does not depend on an RF control link
Detection and engagement are designed for threats that may be autonomous or fiber-controlled.
04
Built around the cost exchange
Velum is designed to make repeated engagements against low-cost aircraft economically practical.
Integration
Integration is the whole point
A counter-UAS system does not help much if fielding it requires another truck, another crew, and another logistics burden.
Velum is being designed around the vehicles already in the force. Integration is part of the requirement, not something to solve after the system works.
Velum is being designed around the vehicles already in the force. Integration is part of the requirement, not something to solve after the system works.
Benefits
Where It
Applies
The protection gap is not limited to one vehicle or mission. Velum is being designed for mobile and fixed applications where small UAS can create disproportionate risk.
Logistics and resupply
Vehicles carrying fuel, ammunition, personnel, and supplies are both essential and increasingly exposed to small UAS attack.
Maneuver formations
Units operating forward encounter the threat early and often have the least time to react.
Fixed installations
Entry control points, motor pools, ammunition storage areas, flight lines, and other exposed mission infrastructure.
Critical infrastructure
Power, transportation, and other facilities where low-cost aerial threats can create disproportionate consequences.
What Comes Next
VELUM IS THE FIRST PROGRAM
Melas was not founded around a single product category. We look for defense problems where the existing answer is too expensive, too complicated, or does not fit the operator. New programs will be announced when they enter active development.
Melas is also interested in research and development relationships with government laboratories, development commands, and industry partners working on problems that fit our engineering approach.
Presence
THE SYSTEM
Public descriptions are intentionally brief. Detailed architecture and performance information is available to qualified government and industry partners.
SKOPOS
Sensor array
Distributed sensing for detection and target tracking.
ARCHON
Fire control
Fire-control hardware for the engagement chain.
ERKOS / MYRMIDON
Launcher + interceptor
Vehicle-integrated launcher and purpose-built kinetic interceptor for small unmanned aircraft.
Get in touch
TECHNICAL DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER NDA
Detailed information on architecture, integration, performance objectives, and testing is available to qualified government and industry partners.
Melas holds no classified material. Briefings are unclassified.
Melas holds no classified material. Briefings are unclassified.
Request a Velum briefing
