Fortem DroneHunter F700

A reusable, radar-guided counter-UAS interceptor drone that captures hostile drones with nets, designed for low-collateral defense of bases, venues and critical infrastructure.

Overview

The Fortem DroneHunter F700 is a fully autonomous, radar-guided multi-rotor interceptor drone built by Fortem Technologies of Lindon, Utah. It is designed to defeat small hostile or unauthorized drones by physically capturing them in flight with expanding tether nets rather than using a missile, gun or explosive warhead. Fortem positions the F700 as the effector layer of its SkyDome system, alongside TrueView radar sensors and SkyDome Manager command-and-control software, according to the company's DroneHunter F700 product page.

The system's defining feature is non-explosive capture. Against smaller Group-1 targets, the DroneHunter can snare the aircraft and tow it to a safe recovery point; against larger Group-2 and some Group-3 targets, Fortem describes a DrogueNet option that releases the captured drone under parachute for controlled descent. That approach gives the system a different operational niche from missile or rocket-based counter-UAS weapons: it prioritizes low collateral risk, potential forensic recovery of the captured drone and reusability over long-range kinetic destruction.

Development

Fortem Technologies was founded in Utah in 2016 by Adam Robertson and Timothy Bean, initially focused on compact radar for low-altitude autonomous systems before counter-drone defense became the company's main product line, according to Defense One. Boeing's HorizonX venture arm participated in a $15 million Series A financing round in March 2018, an early sign of aerospace-industry interest in Fortem's small radar and counter-UAS architecture, as reported by GeekWire.

Fortem announced broader international availability of the DroneHunter F700 and SkyDome system in January 2021, presenting the F700 as an autonomous interceptor able to engage drones without radio-frequency jamming or explosive effects, according to the company's 2021 F700 announcement. The product line matured through operational feedback and a fifth-generation update. In January 2026, Fortem said it had begun deliveries of DroneHunter 5.0, a redesigned F700 configuration focused on counter-swarm operations, expanded onboard computing and faster field handling, according to the company's DroneHunter 5.0 release.

Design & capabilities

The F700 is a VTOL interceptor drone, typically described as a six-rotor aircraft, fitted with onboard radar and modular net-launching payloads. Fortem's specification sheet lists a tip-to-tip wingspan of 1,980 mm, length of 1,630 mm, landing-gear-down height of 690 mm and takeoff weight of 18 kg with battery, radar and net guns installed, according to the Fortem solution brief. The same brief gives a maximum attack/pursuit speed of 25 m/s, an environment-dependent operating radius of ~4 km and a typical mission duration of 1-3 minutes, with battery and NetHead reloads taking under 3 minutes.

Guidance is built around Fortem's TrueView radar family and SkyDome command architecture. Fortem states that the F700 carries a TrueView R20 compact AESA radar for detection, tracking and terminal guidance, giving day/night and adverse-weather capability against low-altitude drones, according to the DroneHunter product page. The wider SkyDome architecture can also use ground-based TrueView radars and SkyDome Manager software to cue interceptors, assign threats and coordinate multiple DroneHunters.

The capture payload consists of NetGuns that fire rapidly expanding tether nets. Fortem says small commercial-drone-class targets can be caught and towed away, while heavier targets can be captured with a DrogueNet linked to a parachute for controlled descent. The company has also claimed the F700 has engaged fixed-wing threats including Shahed-136-type loitering munitions and Orlan-10 reconnaissance drones, in a Fortem technical blog. Those claims should be read as company statements unless paired with independently published engagement records.

Fortem reports an 85% mid-air capture success rate in field operations and more than 4,500 total drone captures across fielded activity, but those figures are vendor claims rather than independently audited performance data, as presented on the F700 product page and in a 2020 Fortem press release. The company also says multiple DroneHunters can be launched simultaneously, each assigned to a separate incoming target under SkyDome coordination.

Variants

The main named variant is DroneHunter 5.0, Fortem's fifth-generation F700 configuration. Fortem describes it as a counter-swarm redesign rather than a minor refresh, with dual onboard cameras, greater onboard computing power, a redesigned airframe and landing gear, additional ground-safety features and an optional four-NetGun configuration, according to the January 2026 company release.

Fortem later announced a five-on-five autonomous swarm-intercept demonstration in which five DroneHunter F700 5.0 interceptors, under a single SkyDome system, planned and executed simultaneous captures of five pre-programmed attack drones without human intervention, according to the company's February 2026 SkyDome release. The demonstration supports Fortem's counter-swarm positioning, though it remains a company-reported event rather than an independently documented combat engagement.

Combat record / operational use

Ukraine is the most visible operational user in open sources. In January 2023, the Ukrainian government crowd-funded the purchase of six DroneHunter F700 units and deployed them near power plants, according to Defense One. The same reporting says the system gained prominence after use against Iranian-designed Shahed-136 loitering munitions employed by Russia in attacks on Ukraine's power grid, and quotes Fortem CEO Jon Gruen saying battlefield feedback led to modifications for Russian electronic warfare conditions and heavier Shahed-class targets.

Ukrainian reporting has also described DroneHunter F700 use by the Ukrainian military and security services since at least January 2023. Defense Express cited Ukrainian digital-transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov in reporting that Ukrainians had bought DroneHunter systems for threats including Shahed-136, Zala and Orlan-10 drones, according to Defense Express. A separate Defense Express report framed Fortem systems as part of critical-infrastructure defense, but public sourcing does not provide a verified engagement-by-engagement kill count.

In the United States, the F700 moved from demonstrations and limited adoption into more formal procurement channels during 2025-2026. Fortem was named among the first companies approved for the US Army's G-TEAD Marketplace in November 2025, allowing authorized agencies to buy its counter-drone systems through an expedited pathway, according to The Defense Post. In January 2026, the Pentagon's JIATF 401 made its first Replicator 2 acquisition with a purchase of two DroneHunter F700 systems for defense of US military installations and critical infrastructure, with delivery expected by April 2026, according to Inside Unmanned Systems.

Fortem also received a three-year, $18 million US Army contract in February 2026 for counter-drone equipment and field-support services, including DroneHunter interceptors, with the first order valued at nearly $4 million, according to Business Wire. The Department of Homeland Security placed a separate multimillion-dollar order for Fortem systems to protect US venues during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Breaking Defense reporting Fortem as the sole kinetic counter-drone solution selected for that role, according to Breaking Defense.

Advantages

• Non-explosive defeat mechanism reduces collateral-damage risk in populated areas, venues and critical-infrastructure sites compared with missile or gun intercepts.
• Reusable interceptor model can preserve a captured drone for intelligence and forensic exploitation rather than reducing it to fragments.
• Organic onboard radar and SkyDome cueing reduce dependence on visual conditions or cooperative target emissions, according to Fortem's product description.
• Rapid battery and NetHead reloads under 3 minutes support repeated short-duration sorties, per the Fortem solution brief.
• 2025-2026 US adoption through G-TEAD, Replicator 2, Army and DHS pathways suggests growing institutional acceptance beyond vendor demonstrations.

Drawbacks / limitations

• Net capture requires the interceptor to close to very short range, limiting applicability against very fast, high-altitude or heavily defended air targets.
• Typical mission duration is only 1-3 minutes, so persistent coverage depends on cueing, launch readiness, reload discipline and multiple interceptors.
• Public combat-performance data remain thin; Fortem's capture-rate and total-capture figures are company claims rather than independently audited results.
• The system is optimized for small UAS and some larger drone threats, not for aircraft, cruise missiles or ballistic missiles.
• Electronic warfare, weather, airspace deconfliction and rules-of-engagement constraints can affect practical employment, especially near friendly drones or civilian aviation.

Counterparts

• Coyote (C-UAS interceptor effector)
• Anduril Roadrunner (reusable C-UAS interceptor)
• VAMPIRE (C-UAS rocket launcher)

Outlook

DroneHunter's near-term trajectory is toward wider institutional use in the United States and continued operational relevance in Ukraine-linked counter-UAS missions. The 2025-2026 sequence of G-TEAD Marketplace access, Replicator 2 selection, Army contracting and DHS World Cup venue-defense procurement gives Fortem a stronger path into recurring US demand than a stand-alone demonstration program would provide. The open question is whether DroneHunter 5.0's counter-swarm architecture can scale from company-reported demonstrations to routine, multi-interceptor field deployments under military or domestic-security command systems.

The system's niche is likely to remain selective rather than universal. It is best suited where explosive intercepts are politically, legally or operationally undesirable and where recovering the hostile drone has intelligence value. Missile, rocket, gun and electronic-warfare systems will remain better suited for longer-range or higher-throughput engagements, but DroneHunter offers a distinct low-collateral option inside layered counter-UAS defenses.

Key specifications

Sources

1. Fortem Technologies — DroneHunter F700 product page. https://www.fortemtech.com/products/dronehunter-f700/
2. Fortem Technologies — Man-portable counter-UAS solution brief. https://fortemtech.com/assets/pdf/solution-brief-man-portable.pdf
3. Fortem Technologies — "F700: Building the World's Best Drone Interceptor." https://www.fortemtech.com/blog/discussions/2022-10-11-f700-building-the-worlds-best-drone-interceptor/
4. Fortem Technologies — "Fortem Wins New Product of the Year." https://www.fortemtech.com/press-releases/2020-09-03-fortem-wins-new-product-of-the-year/
5. Fortem Technologies — DroneHunter F700 international availability announcement. https://fortemtech.com/press-releases/2021-01-19-dronehunter-f700/
6. Defense One — "Drone maker's dilemma illustrates Ukraine's struggle to get key arms." https://www.defenseone.com/business/2023/11/drone-makers-dilemma-illustrates-ukraines-struggle-get-key-arms/392096/
7. Defense Express — "Ukrainians Buy DroneHunter, a Predator UAV to Catch Shahed-136, Zala and Orlan-10." https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/ukrainians_buy_dronehunter_a_predator_uav_to_catch_shahed_136_zala_and_orlan_10-8620.html
8. Defense Express — "Drone Hunters Are Already Protecting Ukraine's Critical Infrastructure." https://en.defence-ua.com/news/drone_hunters_are_already_protecting_ukraines_critical_infrastructure-5569.html
9. The Defense Post — "Fortem Counter-Drone Systems Approved for US Army Marketplace." https://thedefensepost.com/2025/11/26/fortem-counter-drone-usarmy/
10. Inside Unmanned Systems — "Pentagon Task Force Picks Fortem DroneHunter for First Replicator 2 Purchase." https://insideunmannedsystems.com/pentagon-task-force-picks-fortem-dronehunter-for-first-replicator-2-purchase/
11. Business Wire — "Fortem Technologies Awarded 3-Year $18M U.S. Army Contract for Counter-Drone Solutions." https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260226465227/en/Fortem-Technologies-Awarded-3-Year-%2418M-U.S.-Army-Contract-for-Counter-Drone-Solutions
12. Breaking Defense — "DHS taps Fortem to defend US World Cup venues from drones." https://breakingdefense.com/2026/02/dhs-taps-fortem-to-defend-us-world-cup-venues-from-drones/
13. Fortem Technologies — "Fortem Technologies Begins Deliveries of Next Generation DroneHunter 5.0." https://www.fortemtech.com/press-releases/2026-01-20-fortem-technologies-begins-deliveries-of-next-generation-dronehunter-5-0-advancing-counter-swarm-defense/
14. Fortem Technologies — "Fortem's AI-Powered SkyDome Neutralizes Drone Swarm with Zero Collateral Damage." https://www.fortemtech.com/press-releases/2026-02-04-fortem-s-ai-powered-skydome-neutralizes-drone-swarm-with-zero-collateral-damage/
15. GeekWire — "Boeing HorizonX gets in on $15M funding round for Fortem drone radar venture." https://www.geekwire.com/2018/boeing-horizonx-gets-15m-funding-round-fortem-drone-radar-venture/
16. Skycharge — Fortem Technologies case study. https://www.skycharge.de/case-studies/fortem-technologies-inc
17. Seeking Alpha — "Lockheed Martin invests $25M in Fortem Technologies to expand counter-drone tech." https://seekingalpha.com/news/4577993-lockheed-martin-invests-25m-in-fortem-technologies-to-expand-counter-drone-tech
18. PR Newswire — "Fortem Technologies Announces Executive Leadership Growth." https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fortem-technologies-announces-executive-leadership-growth-301637024.html
19. Business Wire — "Lockheed Martin Selects Fortem Technologies to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Drones." https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260319309623/en/Lockheed-Martin-Selects-Fortem-Technologies-to-Protect-Critical-Infrastructure-from-Drones
20. The Defense Post — "Fortem Technologies Launches Autonomous DroneHunter Version." https://thedefensepost.com/2026/01/22/fortem-dronehunter-autonomous-version/

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