Turkish Firm Skydagger and L3Harris to Co-Produce FPV Interceptor Drone in the United States
Turkish defense technology firm Skydagger and U.S. defense giant L3Harris Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris to co-produce the Hunter VTOL FPV interceptor drone on American soil. With a target production capacity of 10,000 units per month, the deal marks a significant milestone in Turkish defense technology’s integration into global supply chains.
What Is the Hunter?
Skydagger’s Hunter is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) first-person view (FPV) interceptor drone designed to autonomously detect and neutralize enemy drones using AI-driven trajectory prediction algorithms. According to Breaking Defense’s June 16 report, the system carries a 500-gram antipersonnel warhead and is engineered to address the fast-moving, low-altitude threats that conventional counter-UAS systems frequently miss.
The Hunter will be configured to integrate with L3Harris’s VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) counter-UAS platform — a modular system deployable on virtually any light or armored vehicle within hours. VAMPIRE entered service as part of the first U.S. counter-UAS aid packages delivered to Ukraine in 2022 and has since proven its battlefield flexibility across diverse operating environments.
A 10,000-Unit Monthly Target
Skydagger is targeting a production capacity of 10,000 Hunter units per month at U.S. facilities by the end of 2026 — a figure that reflects both the ambition of the partnership and the urgent demand signal from a NATO alliance scrambling to field cost-effective drone interceptors at scale. The FPV threat environment in Ukraine has made clear that attritable interceptors need to be produced faster and cheaper than traditional air defense rounds.
For L3Harris, the partnership adds a high-volume, low-cost intercept element to the VAMPIRE ecosystem. Given the company’s existing contracts with the U.S. Army and Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the Hunter’s integration into American armed forces’ counter-drone architecture could materialize in the near term.
From SAHA Expo to Eurosatory
Skydagger is a rising name in Turkey’s defense sector. EDR Magazine’s coverage of SAHA Expo 2025 in Istanbul highlighted the firm’s Hunter interceptor and TOYCA-05 loitering munition as technically ambitious systems built with purpose-designed combat hardware rather than off-the-shelf commercial components. The Eurosatory MOU demonstrates how quickly the company has scaled from domestic exhibition presence to international Tier-1 co-production partnerships.
What It Means for Turkey’s Defense Industry
The Skydagger-L3Harris deal signals a qualitative shift in how Turkish defense technology enters global markets. Rather than exporting finished platforms to end-users, Skydagger is embedding its technology inside U.S. domestic production — a model that echoes Turkey’s broader ambitions to position itself not just as a seller, but as a manufacturing partner within the Western defense industrial base.
Turkey is targeting $10 billion in defense exports in 2026, up from approximately $8.5 billion in 2025. Alongside the country’s flagship programs — Baykar’s TB2 and Akıncı UAVs, ASELSAN electronics, ROKETSAN munitions — co-production deals like the Skydagger-L3Harris arrangement represent a new tier of industrial integration with NATO allies.
| System | Manufacturer | Country | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter C-UAS | Skydagger | Turkey | VTOL FPV interceptor, 500g warhead, AI trajectory prediction |
| VAMPIRE | L3Harris | USA | Vehicle-agnostic counter-UAS platform, modular |
| Hunter-VAMPIRE Package | Skydagger + L3Harris | USA-Turkey | Co-production, 10,000 units/month target |
Sources
- Breaking Defense — “L3Harris, Turkish Firm Skydagger to Establish US Co-Production of FPV Interceptors,” June 16, 2026. Primary source for production targets, VAMPIRE integration details, and MOU signing.
- EDR Magazine — SAHA Expo 2025 coverage; Skydagger Hunter and TOYCA-05 technical profile and company background.
- Army Recognition — Eurosatory 2026 general coverage and counter-UAS market context.
Editor’s Note: Technical specifications of the Hunter system have been cross-verified against Breaking Defense and EDR Magazine reporting. The 10,000-unit monthly production target is Skydagger’s stated capacity goal and is contingent on a formal production contract.
