The top counter-drone companies for 2027 are Epirus for high-power microwave defeat, DroneShield for portable detection and jamming, Dedrone by Axon for airspace security software, Anduril for layered autonomous defense, and D-Fend Solutions for cyber takeover of rogue drones. Fortem Technologies, SRC, AeroVironment, Allen Control Systems and MyDefence round out the list.
Cheap drones have become a threat to bases, airports, stadiums, prisons and power plants, and missiles are too expensive to use against them at scale. Counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems detect, track and defeat drones with radar, RF sensing, cameras, jamming, cyber takeover, interceptor drones, guns, lasers and microwaves. In 2026 US rules also began letting more state and local agencies use detection and some mitigation tools, widening the market beyond the military.
1. Epirus — High-Power Microwave Against Drone Swarms
Epirus builds Leonidas, a solid-state high-power microwave system that can disable many drones at once with an electromagnetic pulse instead of a missile or bullet.
The US Army has bought Leonidas for its IFPC-HPM program, and the Marine Corps is testing a vehicle-mounted version, making Epirus the leading answer to swarms.
2. DroneShield — Portable Detection And Jamming At Scale
DroneShield makes RF sensors, the DroneGun handheld jammer and the DroneSentry system for fixed and vehicle-mounted protection, all tied together by its DroneSentry-C2 software.
Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, it sells to militaries and government agencies across Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific and has grown quickly since the war in Ukraine.
3. Dedrone by Axon — Airspace Security Software For Police And Venues
Dedrone combines RF, radar and camera sensors with AI software to detect, classify and track drones, and its Defender handheld adds authorized mitigation.
Owned by Axon since 2024, it is widely used by airports, prisons, stadiums and police, and it protected venues during the 2026 World Cup.
Anduril combines Sentry towers, radar, the Anvil interceptor drone and the Roadrunner reusable interceptor under its Lattice software, which fuses tracks and recommends responses.
Its systems protect US bases and borders, and the Marine Corps and Army have bought its counter-drone systems at scale.
D-Fend’s EnforceAir system takes control of unauthorized drones over their radio link and lands them in a safe zone, without jamming nearby communications.
That makes it popular with police, airports and event security in cities, where shooting or jamming a drone could cause more harm.
Through its 2025 purchase of BlueHalo, AeroVironment now sells the Titan RF counter-drone system and the LOCUST laser weapon, which the Army has tested on vehicles.
It also makes interceptor drones, so it can offer several defeat options from one supplier.
Allen Control Systems builds Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon station that uses computer vision to aim standard machine guns such as the M240 at drones.
Its pitch is a very low cost per kill, and it has expanded production in Austin to meet demand from the US and allied forces.
10. MyDefence — Wearable Drone Detection For Soldiers
MyDefence makes wearable and vehicle-mounted RF detectors and jammers, letting individual soldiers spot and stop drones on the move.
Its systems are used by NATO forces and in Ukraine and suit units that need lightweight, mobile protection.
How We Chose These Companies
We focused on companies with fielded counter-drone products and weighed:
Fielded systems and military or government customers
Effectiveness against small drones and swarms
Cost per engagement
Fit for military, critical infrastructure and civil settings
Integration with common command and control software
How To Choose A Counter-Drone System
Do you need detection only, or mitigation too?
Most civil users can legally detect drones but face tight limits on jamming or taking them down. Militaries and some federal agencies can use full mitigation. Start with what you are allowed to do.
What threat are you defending against?
Hobby drones near a stadium, commercial quadcopters carrying contraband into a prison and military attack drones need very different responses.
How much does each engagement cost?
Missiles cost far more than the drones they shoot down. Microwave, guns, lasers and interceptor drones aim to bring the cost per kill down sharply.
Will it work in a city?
Jamming and kinetic defeat can cause collateral damage. Cyber takeover and nets are safer in crowded areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is C-UAS?
C-UAS stands for counter-unmanned aircraft systems. It covers any technology that detects, tracks, identifies or defeats drones.
Is it legal to jam a drone in the United States?
In general, only certain federal agencies are authorized to jam or take down drones. Expanded US rules in 2026 let more state and local agencies use detection and some mitigation tools, but private companies cannot jam drones.
How do counter-drone systems detect drones?
They use a mix of radar, RF sensors that pick up control signals, electro-optical and infrared cameras, and sometimes acoustic sensors, fused in software.
What is the cheapest way to stop a drone?
Jamming and gun-based systems such as Bullfrog have very low costs per engagement. Microwave weapons such as Epirus Leonidas can stop several drones at once for little more than the cost of power.
Which counter-drone company is best for airports and stadiums?
Dedrone by Axon and D-Fend Solutions are widely used at civil sites because they focus on detection and safe takeover rather than kinetic defeat.
Conclusion
Epirus leads against swarms, DroneShield and MyDefence lead in portable detection and jamming, Dedrone and D-Fend are the civil-site favorites, and Anduril, AeroVironment, SRC, Fortem and Allen Control Systems give militaries layered options from radar to guns to lasers.
