German defence software company Auterion has introduced a modular vertical launch system designed to deploy several types of drones from different manufacturers using the same launcher.
The Nemyx Vertical Launch System, announced on October 5, expands Auterion’s Nemyx swarm software into hardware. The company says the system can deploy commercial drones, strike drones, interceptors and mid-range loitering munitions without requiring a separate launcher for each aircraft or supplier.
The design uses vertical tubes in which multiple drones are stacked on top of one another. An electric elevator moves the next aircraft to the top of the tube before launch. Auterion says this allows the system to carry 30% more drones in the same volume than launchers without an elevator.
“Most drone launchers are built for one drone from one vendor, so every new drone brings another box to carry, power and maintain,” said Auterion founder and CEO Lorenz Meier. “Nemyx VLS works the other way around. Operators pick the drones, and the launcher keeps every one of them charged and up to date.”
The company is offering tubes for 10-inch FPV drones and interceptors, as well as a separate container for mid-range loitering munitions.
The system is designed around a vendor-agnostic model. Auterion says Nemyx VLS currently works with drones from Skyfall, Airlogix, Rheinmetall, DeltaQuad and Griffon Aerospace, allowing operators to change drone suppliers without replacing the launcher itself.
Auterion also says the launcher has been integrated with major armoured vehicle manufacturers in the US and Germany, though it did not name the companies involved.
Nemyx VLS connects directly with vehicles running Auterion’s software. For example, a crewed vehicle can pass target information to the launcher and initiate either a single-drone or swarm launch. While stored inside the launcher, drones remain powered and connected. An integrated battery can operate the launcher for several hours, while external power allows it to remain deployed for longer periods. It’s a clever solution to a thorny problem: the prevalence of drones have made it hard to decide how and where to deploy each different type. Auterion’s agnostic solution fixes that.
