UAE firm equips armored vehicles with anti-drone mesh

TAC Armored Vehicles LLC, a defense manufacturer based in the United Arab Emirates, has introduced a modular anti-drone protection kit for its Jedi armored personnel carrier, drawing directly from battlefield lessons emerging from the war in Ukraine.

In a statement, the company said its new “Active Anti-Drone Net” is designed to counter explosive drone attacks and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), without significantly increasing the weight of the vehicle.

“The Active Anti-Drone Net provides protection against explosive attacks from drones and rocket-propelled grenades,” the company said. “Unlike traditional protective systems, the Q-NET is an innovative technology with no analogs in the world. It is based on a cable mesh that prevents damage to the vehicle with no adding significant extra weight to the vehicle.”

The Jedi, manufactured by TAC and built on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 chassis, is marketed as the world’s first armored personnel carrier with a V-shaped hull specifically designed to meet STANAG Level II blast protection standards.

According to the company, the integration of the mesh-based anti-drone screen provides lightweight defense against common threats in today’s drone-dense battlefield environments. The mesh acts as a physical barrier to intercept low-flying explosive-laden drones before they make contact with the hull.

As noted by TAC Armored Vehicles, the system draws from recent wartime adaptations where both Ukrainian and Russian forces began retrofitting vehicles with cage-like frames to reduce vulnerability to first-person view (FPV) attack drones. These drones, often equipped with shaped charges, have proven especially lethal against soft-skinned and lightly armored vehicles operating near the front line.

While main battle tanks often require multiple drones to be disabled or destroyed, 4×4 armored vehicles are more vulnerable. Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have increasingly outfitted trucks and personnel carriers with field-made overhead protection or netting systems in an attempt to neutralize this threat.

TAC Armored Vehicles’ decision to integrate factory-produced, modular counter-drone kits reflects growing demand for solutions that address the evolving nature of unmanned threats.

The company did not disclose whether the anti-drone mesh will be standard on future production models or offered as an upgrade for existing operators.