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Destinus to develop Hornet B2 naval C-UAS for Royal Netherlands Navy. * Published on 25/08/2026 * By Naval News Staff * In News Destinus and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence sign a Concept Development & Evaluatio contract to integrate the Hornet B2 kinetic counter-UAS interceptor onto Royal Netherlands Navy warships by Q2 2027. A new Concept Development & Evaluation program will integrate Hornet B2 with Royal Netherlands Navy warships and develop the system towards a possible initial operating capability. Naval air defence faces an increasingly difficult economics problem. Low-cost aerial threats can arrive in volume, and meeting each one with a premium interceptor is an equation no navy can sustain. High-end naval air-defence missiles remain essential, but fleets also need an additional interceptor layer that can be deployed in greater numbers and matched more closely to the cost and scale of the threat. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence and Destinus are now working to develop that layer with Hornet B2. The Ministry of Defence's Materiel and IT Command, COMMIT, has signed a contract with Destinus to launch a Concept Development & Evaluation program for a kinetic counter-UAS capability for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The program includes the delivery of Hornet B2 interceptor systems, integration with several Royal Netherlands Navy warships and Integrated Logistics Support activities towards a possible initial operating capability. The CD&E program is scheduled for completion in Q2 2027. A different approach to naval interception. Hornet B2 is built around a different architecture from a traditional interceptor missile. The system is stored in a sealed canister and launched by a rocket booster. After launch, it deploys folding wings and transitions to electric-powered cruise flight. This combines missile-class launch readiness with aircraft-class range and endurance, while targeting a cost per engagement far below that of traditional interceptor missiles. Hornet B2 is designed to engage one-way attack systems using electro-optical and infrared sensing, supported by AI-based processing during the terminal phase. Engagement decisions remain under human command in accordance with applicable rules of engagement. Its predecessor, Hornet B1, is already in serial production. The design philosophy is straightforward. Naval forces need more than one class of interceptor. Premium missiles provide the performance required against the most demanding threats. Hornet B2 is being developed as an additional layer for lower-cost aerial threats arriving in volume, where repeatedly using high-end interceptors creates an increasingly difficult operational and economic trade-off. Built with the operators from the start. Royal Netherlands Navy operators will be involved directly throughout the CD&E program. They will contribute operational expertise and help shape the capability requirements and system specifications as Hornet B2 is developed for the naval environment. For naval systems, that distinction matters. The interceptor itself is only one part of the capability. Ship integration, logistics, operator requirements, support and operating procedures all have to work together. Bringing those requirements into the development process from the outset reduces the need to adapt a finished system after development. It also ensures that the capability is shaped around the environment in which it will ultimately be used. This is the purpose of the CD&E model: to connect engineering, integration and operational evaluation while the capability is still being developed. Adding interceptor capacity where navies need it. Hornet B2 is not intended to replace high-end shipborne air-defence systems. It is being developed to add interceptor capacity against low-cost, high-volume aerial threats, helping navies preserve premium missiles for the threat classes that require them. "Low-cost aerial threats have inverted the economics of naval air defence: no navy can sustainably trade multimillion-euro missiles against low-cost threats arriving at volume," said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Destinus. "Hornet B2 answers this with a different architecture: launched from a canister like a missile, cruising on electric power like an aircraft, and engaging subsonic threats at a fraction of the cost per engagement. Developing this capability together with COMMIT and the Royal Netherlands Navy from day one means it will be shaped by the operators who will depend on it." The program supports the Netherlands' publicly stated requirement for a maritime kinetic counter-UAS capability for the fleet. It also marks the next step in bringing Hornet B2 into the naval environment: not as a standalone interceptor, but as part of an operational capability developed around the ships, operators and support systems that will use it. The CD&E program is scheduled to run through Q2 2027.

Dutch Navy to equip fleet with Destinus C-UAS interceptor drones. Rudy Ruitenberg Tue, August 25, 2026 at 1:50 AM PDT PARIS - The Royal Netherlands Navy plans to equip its fleet with a new counter-UAS capability based on interceptor drones from defense firm Destinus to improve protection of its warships against drone attacks. Destinus will develop a kinetic counter-UAS capability for the Navy based on its Hornet B2 interceptor, the company said in an emailed statement late Monday. The program will include delivery of the interceptors, integration with several warships and support towards a possible initial operating capability, with the program slated for completion in the second quarter of 2027. "The threat of drones at medium range is increasing," the Dutch Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Monday. "That's clear from both operational analyses as well as the current threat picture during maritime operations. Sailing units therefore need additional means to effectively defend themselves in fleets." Ukraine has been using low-cost interceptor drones to defeat one-way attack UAVs, offering a potential solution for Western navies that have found themselves firing expensive missiles at relatively cheap Houthi drones in the Red Sea. The U.S. Navy has already installed launchers for Raytheon's Coyote interceptor on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The new system will be an addition to existing armaments, the Dutch MoD said. The system will consist of a base station and a launch platform that can fire a drone interceptor, and the C-UAS solution will continue to be developed through testing, the ministry said. "The program addresses the growing requirement for scalable naval protection against low-cost, high-volume aerial threats," Destinus said. The company said an earlier version of the interceptor, the Hornet B1, is already in serial production. The system consists of an interceptor launched from a sealed canister by a rocket booster, before deploying its wings and transitioning to electric-powered cruise flight. The interceptor is designed to intercept one-way attack systems using electro-optical and infrared sensing and AI-based processing for the terminal phase, at a cost per engagement "far below that of traditional interceptor missiles," according to Destinus. "Low-cost aerial threats have inverted the economics of naval air defense: no navy can sustainably trade multimillion-euro missiles against low-cost threats arriving at volume," Destinus CEO Mikhail Kokorich said in a statement. "Hornet B2 answers this with a different architecture." The Dutch Navy will contribute direct operational expertise throughout the development and evaluation process, shaping capability requirements and system specifications, Destinus said. That will reduce the need for adaptation after system development, according to the company.

Space Force orders 36 Golden Dome satellites for $1.75B, space brief 22 jul 2026. Space Force awards $1.75 billion contract for 36 Golden Dome missile-tracking satellites. Addition scales proliferated missile-warning constellation faster than original timeline. Top stories. Space Force orders 36 more Golden Dome missile-tracking satellites for $1.75 billion. The Space Development Agency signed deals worth up to $1.75 billion combined with two companies to build 36 missile-tracking satellites for the Golden Dome missile-defense architecture. The award adds to SDA's existing Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 constellations, which already track hypersonic and ballistic missile launches from low Earth orbit. This buy signals SDA is scaling proliferated missile-warning coverage faster than its original timeline suggested. More satellites in this layer means denser tracking data and shorter revisit times over contested regions - a direct input into the missile-defense kill chain the Pentagon is racing to field. Hegseth puts $37.5B price tag on Iran strike costs, seeks nearly $90B more. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the Pentagon needs close to $90 billion in supplemental funding, with $37.5 billion tied directly to operations from the Iran conflict. The hearing turned contentious as members pressed him on where the money would actually go. Budget fights like this ripple into space programs. Supplemental requests compete with baseline funding lines for satellite procurement, including Golden Dome and SDA tranches - watch whether this request eats into space acquisition accounts later this year. SpaceX launches Northrop servicer to refuel three GEO satellites. A SpaceX rocket carried a DARPA-backed Northrop Grumman vehicle into orbit on a mission to install propulsion pods on three commercial satellites parked in geostationary orbit. The pods are designed to extend the operational life of aging GEO assets that would otherwise be retired for lack of fuel. In-orbit servicing missions like this one complicate object tracking - a single servicer approaching multiple targets over its mission life generates maneuver data that operators need to correlate correctly. Expect more of these missions as GEO fleet owners look to stretch satellite lifespans instead of replacing them outright. Destinus unveils counter-rocket interceptor, targets 2028 production. Destinus revealed a new interceptor system built to shoot down incoming rockets before they hit critical infrastructure - command posts, radar sites, ammunition depots. The company is aiming for mass production by 2028. Ground-based interceptors like this sit downstream of the space-based tracking layer Golden Dome is building. A faster kill chain on the ground only works if the satellites overhead hand off accurate, low-latency tracks - which is exactly what SDA's new 36-satellite order is meant to deliver. Falcon 9 sends 24 Starlink satellites up a day after rare abort. SpaceX flew booster B1082 out of Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, carrying 24 Starlink satellites to orbit, one day after the same rocket aborted its first launch attempt on the pad. The abort delayed the mission but didn't scrub it outright. Pad aborts are uncommon for Falcon 9's mature flight record, so this one is worth flagging even though the eventual launch went clean. Track Starlink launches as new satellites populate their operational shells over the coming days. Army's NGC2 prototype faces final Desert test at project convergence. The 4th Infantry Division's Next Generation Command and Control prototype heads into its final stress test in the Mojave Desert heat, ahead of Army decisions on wider acquisition of the NGC2 ecosystem. The test evaluates whether the comms architecture holds up under harsh environmental conditions. NGC2 leans on satellite communications links to move targeting data across dispersed units. How this prototype performs will shape Army demand signals for commercial SATCOM capacity going into next year's budget cycle. Satellite of the day. LUOJIA-1 01. LUOJIA-1 01 (also known as Luojia-1 KSW 01 xing) is a compact 6U CubeSat developed by Wuhan University and launched on June 2, 2018, aboard a Chang Zheng 2D rocket from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. At just 10 kilograms, this tiny Earth observation satellite packs impressive capabilities into its modest dimensions (0.3m x 0.2m with a 0.5m solar panel span). The mission focuses on gathering Earth observation data, relying on solar cells and onboard batteries for power in its sun-synchronous polar orbit. What makes LUOJIA-1 01 noteworthy is its role as part of China's broader CubeSat initiative, demonstrating how university-built small satellites can contribute to operational remote sensing missions. Operating at a 97.8° inclination, it passes over polar regions regularly, making it useful for monitoring high-latitude phenomena. The satellite exemplifies the democratization of space technology - bringing sophisticated Earth observation capabilities within reach of academic institutions and smaller operators. | Detail | Value | | NORAD ID | 43485 | | Operator | Wuhan University (CN) | | Launch Date | June 2, 2018 | | Orbit | Sun-synchronous, 97.8° inclination | | Purpose | Earth observation | | Status | Active | Upcoming space launches. July 23. * China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 3B/E: * Unknown Payload from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Launch Complex 2 (11:52 UTC) Details TBD. Launch Preview * SpaceX Starship: * Flight 13 from SpaceX Starbase, Orbital Launch Pad 2 (22:45 UTC) A SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy rocket will launch from Starbase, Texas, on a suborbital test flight. The Super Heavy booster (Booster 20) and Starship upper stage (Ship 40) will not be recovered but will attempt controlled splash downs in the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean respectively. Starship will deploy 20 V3 Starlink satellites for a brief suborbital test. Watch Live Launch Preview * CAS Space Kinetica 1: * Unknown Payload from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Launch Area 130 (23:24 UTC) Details TBD. Launch Preview July 24. * China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A: * Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, Commercial LC-1 (11:00 UTC) Details TBD. July 25. * SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: * Starlink Group 17-51 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Launch Complex 4E (14:00 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster, tail number B1082, launching for a 23rd time, is scheduled to land on the droneship, 'Of Course I Still Love You,' in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live July 29. * SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: * Starlink Group 17-52 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Launch Complex 4E (02:00 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster, tail number B1082, launching for a 23rd time, is scheduled to land on the droneship, 'Of Course I Still Love You,' in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live * China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 7A: * Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, Pad 201 (11:42 UTC) Details TBD. Launch Preview July 30. * SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: * NROL-95 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40 (06:37 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. July 31. * Rocket Lab Electron: * LOXSAT 1 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (00:00 UTC) LOXSAT 1 is a demonstration satellite of a complete cryogenic oxygen fluid management system in orbit, developed by Eta Space and sponsored by NASA's Tipping Point program. The system will be integrated on a Rocket Lab Photon-LEO satellite bus and collect critical cryogenic fluid management data in orbit for 9 months, demonstrating capabilities of in-space cryogenic storage and transferal. Schedule changes. * SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-39: Status updated from Go for Launch to Launch Successful. * SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | MRV-1: Status updated from Go for Launch to Launch in Flight. * Gravity-1 | 9 satellites: Status updated from Go for Launch to Launch Successful. Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations. Maurice Stellarski. Maurice Stellarski is the Chief Coordination Officer (CCO) of the Civilian Cardboard Command Center Protocol (CCCCP). With over 25 years of self-certified experience in NEATS (Non-Existent Aerospace Tracking Systems), Maurice specializes in predicting launches with uncanny accuracy using his proprietary KITCHEN (Knowledge Integration Technology Combined with Household Equipment Network) methodology. When not monitoring his mission control center, Maurice maintains the world's largest collection of mission-critical authorization stamps and hosts the underground podcast 'Countdown to Breakfast: Uncensored Launch News.'