Ukrainian defense company BlueBird Tech has developed a new close-range counter-drone device designed to stop incoming FPV attack drones, according to reporting by Defense Blog.
FPV drones have become one of the most widely used attack systems in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Their low cost, maneuverability, and ability to fly close to the ground make them difficult targets for traditional air defenses.
A net that snags rotors and drops the drone at 25 meters
The system, called the “Chipa” net gun, fires a square net that expands in flight and snags a drone’s propellers, causing it to lose lift and crash. The device is intended to intercept drones at distances of up to about 25 meters.
According to the company, the launcher is designed as a last-line defensive tool for situations where an FPV drone has already approached soldiers, vehicles, or defensive positions and other countermeasures are no longer effective.
BlueBird Tech says the Chipa launcher can be prepared in seconds: the operator pulls a safety pin, aims the device, and fires the net. Once deployed, the net is intended to wrap around the drone’s rotors and disable it before impact.
No radio signal, less debris than shooting it down
Unlike electronic warfare tools that rely on signal jamming, the system operates mechanically and does not emit radio signals. The company says this prevents the operator’s position from being revealed through electronic emissions.
The developers also say capturing a drone with a net reduces the risk of dangerous debris compared with shooting it down, which can scatter fragments or cause the drone to crash unpredictably.
BlueBird Tech describes the device as a complement to existing counter-drone defenses rather than a replacement, aimed at protecting troops when other interception methods fail. Engineers at the company say demand for such close-range tools is growing as FPV drones become a central weapon on the modern battlefield.
