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Drones: Featured Story
Coverage from Militarnyi, United24media, and others
Ukraine’s Mangal Net Launcher Nears Mass Production
Ukrainian company Phantom Defense is preparing Mangal, an automated system that detects incoming FPV drones and launches nets to intercept them, for mass production. Demonstrated in a field trial, it is designed as a short-range backup to electronic warfare, with multiple modules able to provide broader vehicle coverage. The article reports extensive test firings and design work for operation near electronic countermeasures, but gives no production start date or independently verified performance results.
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Militarnyi’s report offers the fullest account of how Mangal works, its testing, platforms, and the company’s production plans.
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The later report adds details on operating endurance and summarizes the developer’s account of combat trials.
Mangal has been demonstrated and tested on several types of platforms, and the company says units have been sent for combat trials. Coverage reports preparations for mass production but gives no production start date; reported interceptions and performance figures are not independently verified in the supplied articles.
The system uses day and thermal cameras and onboard computing to detect an incoming drone, calculate its trajectory, and launch a net. Each module covers about 90 degrees; multiple modules can provide broader vehicle coverage.
Testing has included about 1,000 test firings and installations on platforms including a Stryker, ground robots, vehicles, and boats, according to the coverage and developer accounts.
The developer says ten systems were delivered to Ukrainian Armed Forces units for combat trials and that two FPV attacks were repelled. These are reported results, not independently verified in the supplied coverage.
Phantom Defense is preparing the current version for mass production while developing Mangal 2.0 using frontline feedback. The articles do not specify when production will begin.