At the ILA air show in Berlin, Mercedes-Benz signed a memorandum of cooperation with Munich-based startup Tytan Technologies. The official goal is the Drone Defender system for protecting airports and critical infrastructure. The real context is far more interesting.

More than just an armored van

According to Financial Times citing sources, Mercedes will provide two chassis: the Sprinter microbus and the military version of the G-Class — the so-called "Wolf," which the Bundeswehr has been using in field conditions for a long time. Both will be equipped with sensors, radar systems, and launchers for interceptor drones.

Tytan Technologies is not a typical startup with a pitch deck. Founded in 2023 by graduates of the Munich University of Technology, the company already received a contract from the Bundeswehr in October 2025 worth several hundred million euros to develop interceptors against NATO Class II drones — vehicles weighing between 150 and 600 kg.

Ukrainian field testing

An unexpected fact absent from official press releases: as early as December 2024, Tytan's interceptors were already undergoing testing together with Ukrainian drone operators. As documented by the German Aid to Ukraine tracker, representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine observed the tests and positively evaluated the system's characteristics.

"Plans include establishing a connection between Tytan Technologies and Ukrainian developers working on related solutions to improve and enhance the system."

defence-ua.com, December 2024

The interceptor itself weighs 5 kg, carries a payload of up to 1 kg, reaches speeds exceeding 250 km/h, and has a range of over 15 km. According to defence-industry.eu, the Interceptor-B version with a range of up to 25 km was most likely chosen for the Bundeswehr.

Mercedes in the role of "defense contractor"

For Mercedes, this is not the first attempt to find growth points beyond the crisis-ridden car market. As noted by WirtschaftsWoche, the company itself speaks of "niche activity" — but the figures are already going beyond niche territory. Tytan plans to produce up to 3,000 interceptors per month, and the scale of the Bundeswehr contract envisages series production already in 2026.

• The system was designed with kinetic destruction of targets in mind, rather than signal jamming — a fundamental difference from most civilian anti-drone solutions
• Among Tytan's investors is the EQS group, and negotiations with several European customers are already underway
• The project grew out of the Bundeswehr Innovation Laboratory program in Erding, meaning direct institutional support

The official position: Drone Defender is intended to protect German critical infrastructure. But the system is designed as mobile, field-deployable, and compatible with combat conditions — precisely the ones that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already evaluated.

If in 2026 the prototype confirms its characteristics and the Bundeswehr moves to serial orders — will Mercedes-Tytan become the first example of how a traditional automaker transforms into a systems supplier of mobile counter-drone defense for NATO?