A Cheap Rocket vs. a Low-Cost UAV: The X-Bow Buckler Project
The problem of cheap interception drones The US has been considering the issue for several years now, and candidates are emerging one after another. X-Bow Systems, Inc. recently unveiled the latest. Its Buckler anti-aircraft missile, according to its developer, combines a simple design, high performance, and low cost. In the future, these missiles are expected to be produced in large quantities and used against massive air strikes.
At the test stage
X-Bow Systems was founded in 2016. Its headquarters are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with several other manufacturing facilities located in other cities. Its primary focus is the development and production of solid-propellant motors for various types of rockets. While the company has attempted to build entire rockets, its core competency remains motors, which is crucial when evaluating a new project.
Now, it has decided to use its existing developments for a promising anti-aircraft guided missile. The project has been designated Buckler, after a small buckler shield known since the Middle Ages.
The project was officially unveiled a few days ago at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. A mockup of the munition and promotional materials are on display in the pavilion, and the company itself revealed the progress of its work and the results achieved.
According to the company, the bulk of the design work on the Buckler has already been completed: the company has tested the solid-fuel motor, manufactured prototypes, and begun flight tests. As confirmation, a photo of the rocket launching from a test launcher was published.
X-Bow plans to complete testing soon. Once it receives orders, it will begin serial production. The company intends to manufacture key components of the new SAMs internally, which it estimates will reduce the risks associated with cooperation and external procurement.
The Pentagon is considered the primary customer. The agency has already received the documents, and initial consultations are expected to take place soon. Based on these, the project may be included in one of the promising weapons development programs.
Economic issues
The Buckler is designed primarily for counter-UAV combat. The developer claims defeat. drones Group 3 (according to the US Department of Defense classification) and, apparently, lighter vehicles of Groups 1 and 2. This also determines the requirements for the missile itself—speed, accuracy, and, most importantly, price.
A brief overview of these targets. The American classification divides UAVs into five groups based on weight, altitude, and speed. Group 1–2 are light aircraft weighing up to approximately 55 kg, ranging from commercial quadcopters to tactical reconnaissance aircraft. Group 3 are larger aircraft weighing from 55 to approximately 600 kg and flying at altitudes of up to 5,5–6 km; some loitering munitions also fall into this class. Heavier Group 4–5 aircraft (for example, the MQ-9 Reaper) remain a target for expensive systems like Patriot or NASAMS, and Buckler is not designed for them. In other words, Buckler is targeting a specific niche: light and medium UAVs.
Bench testing of the X-Bow solid-fuel motor
The need for such a missile is evident in recent conflicts. Attack and reconnaissance drones are used en masse: dozens of Iranian Shahed-136/131 and other loitering munitions fly in, intercepted by expensive systems like Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T, and Stinger-type MANPADS. This creates a disproportionate cost: a drone costing tens of thousands of dollars is shot down by a missile costing hundreds of thousands, even millions. The same is true in the Middle East, where massive attacks on infrastructure have spurred the development of counter-UAV capabilities. Hence the demand for an inexpensive, specialized interceptor, since the closer its price is to the target's cost, the less the defense loses in exchange.
According to the company's estimates, the Buckler SAM will cost no more than $100 in production. If so, it will be one of the cheapest American-made anti-aircraft munitions, and just how cheap is evident from the comparison below.
True, this price is achievable only with a number of compromises. Group 3 targets don't require the same capabilities as ballistic missiles or aircraft—they are less robust and maneuverable. This means a simplified configuration can be used: an inexpensive optoelectronic (including infrared) homing head (or radio command guidance using the system's radars), minimal electronics, a production engine without exotic materials, and a moderate-weight high-explosive fragmentation warhead. With mass production and in-house manufacturing of key components, $100 seems realistic. However, the actual contract price is usually higher than the advertised price due to overhead costs, integration, logistics, and training. And if the customer requires coverage against larger and faster targets or protection from jamming, the threshold can easily be exceeded.
For comparison, according to public estimates, a modern FIM-92 Stinger can cost around $400 per unit. The exact figure depends heavily on the contract, modification, and delivery package, as the missile typically comes in a package with spare parts, training, and logistics. Patriot missiles, depending on the type (PAC-2 GEM-T, PAC-3 CRI, PAC-3 MSE), cost between approximately $2 million and over $4 million, and export packages with containers and maintenance are even more expensive.
Technical features
The missile and launcher were shown, but the company is not yet revealing its full design and specifications. However, even the available data paints a fairly detailed picture.
The Buckler is a compact, cost-effective anti-aircraft missile. Its appearance and layout are indistinguishable from modern SAMs, and it is based on standard, proven solutions. Modifications to suit specific targets, such as drones, are also possible.
The body is elongated and cylindrical. It's likely split in two: the instrumentation and warhead are in the front, and the engine, which takes up the entire tail, is in the rear. The nose rudders and tail stabilizer are located on the outside.
The dimensions and weight have not yet been revealed. Based on the photograph, the length can be estimated at 2–2,5 meters, and the weight at several dozen kilograms.
The engine is solid-fuel, manufactured by X-Bow itself. The ground-launch configuration, with boost acceleration, may indicate a dual-mode engine, combining a powerful boost and subsequent cruise mode, although this is only speculation. Flight characteristics are not disclosed, but the dimensions of the rocket and engine suggest supersonic speed and a range of several kilometers.
Rocket with X-Bow engine
The guidance type is unknown. The shape of the nose cone suggests an optical system or radar head. A radio-command version is also possible, but with this, the missile isn't self-guided: it requires ground-based assets, namely a detection radar and command transmission equipment—a complete system, not just a missile.
A munition of this size could carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing several kilograms. A direct interception is also possible, aided by the missile's high speed and the fragility of a typical target.
During recent tests, Buckler launched from an inclined track on a simple support structure. For now, this is just a prototype for the simplest launches; over time, others will be developed—with the same track but different support structures and auxiliary equipment.
The company did not specify which launch vehicles the missile would be deployed on. The initial launches were conducted from a floating test platform, but this choice could have been driven by test site safety (launching into open water) rather than the target launch vehicle. Therefore, a naval deployment should not be considered a conclusion from these tests, but merely one of several possible options, along with land-based and air-based deployments. Ground-based systems are also expected, and eventually, airborne systems, including unmanned ones.
The search continues
So, X-Bow Systems has proposed a low-cost missile against a wide range of UAVs and is currently refining it through R&D and testing. Once these are completed, the product's true potential will become clear. The developers hope to confirm the calculated characteristics and price and thereby attract the interest of the Pentagon and other customers; preliminary consultations are already underway.
Success, however, is not guaranteed. Reaching design parameters and identifying and addressing deficiencies will be challenging for a company without extensive experience with full-scale munitions. Furthermore, a full suite of support systems will need to be developed alongside the missile.
Next comes the competition, and it's intense. The closest direct competitor is the Raytheon Coyote Block 2/2+, a specialized interceptor with an active radar warhead and a range of approximately 10-15 km, targeting Groups 1-3 UAVs and already being purchased by the US Army as part of the M-LIDS and other C-UAS systems. In terms of missions, it's almost identical to the Buckler, but with more complex and expensive electronics. Next to it are the laser-guided 70mm APKWS munitions, which are being adapted for drones, and a whole host of "low-cost interceptors" under the IFPC programs. The goal is the same: to shoot down cheap drones more cheaply than the Patriot or Stinger. Whether the Buckler will make it through this ranks into the military remains to be seen.
Whether it lives up to expectations will be determined by testing. But its very appearance at the exhibition is indicative: a cheap drone is no longer considered a trifle, and contractors are racing to come up with cheaper ways to shoot it down.
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