Kolarms showcases layered C-UAV complex

Model showing Kolarms' Ares Shield complex, using a mobile command vehicle which can launch interceptor UAVs, and several mobile and static Nemesis turrets. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)

Slovak company Kolarms showcased its Ares Shield counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) complex at the Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition (ADEX) 2026, held in Baku from 30 September to 2 October 2026. The concept combines radar and electro-optical sensors with electronic countermeasures, interceptor UAVs, and a gun turret.

Bálint Baranyai, a representative of Kolarms, told Janes that Ares Shield is intended to provide customers with a complete C-UAV package rather than a collection of individual systems. The company proposes to tailor the complex and its concept of operations to protect military sites, critical infrastructure, and other high-value targets.

At the centre of Ares Shield is an unspecified X-band surveillance radar that can be installed on a vehicle or tripod. According to company documentation, the radar has a maximum instrumented range of 48 km. It can detect a target 10 cm x 10 cm at up to 3 km, increasing to 6 km for a 20 cm x 20 cm target. The radar operates from a 12-36 V power supply, draws a current of 2-6 A, and has a stated radio frequency (RF) transmitter power of 165 mW, according to Kolarms.

The complex's soft-kill options include handheld and vehicle-mounted electronic countermeasures. The vehicle-mounted system provides directional jamming at claimed ranges of 2-4 km, or omnidirectional coverage within an approximate radius of 1.5 km. Hard-kill options include the I2 Defender interceptor UAV and the Nemesis gun turret.