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PROTEUS Rapid and Cost-Effective Counter-Drone System by French Army at Combaterre 2025.
Unveiled during the first edition of the professional event COMBATERRE, held on April 4, 2025, at the Souge camp in Gironde, the French Army’s PROTEUS counter-drone system represents a reactive and modular response to the increasing threats posed by low-altitude aerial platforms. Directed by the Command for Future Combat (CCF) and chaired by General Pierre Schill, Chief of Staff of the French Army, this convention brought together around one thousand senior officers, industry representatives, and engineering students to assess the capabilities required by 2027 and 2040. In this context, the presentation of PROTEUS fits into a forward-looking approach to adapting weapon systems to the challenges highlighted by current conflicts, notably the war in Ukraine.
Developed in just four months by the Army’s Technical Section (STAT), in partnership with the Ministry of Defence’s Artificial Intelligence Agency (AMIAD), the system is based on the reuse of the 20mm AA53 T2 anti-aircraft cannon (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The system presented at COMBATERRE is PROTEUS Standard 1, which had already been revealed by the French Army in a video released on January 23, 2025. Developed in just four months by the Army’s Technical Section (STAT), in partnership with the Ministry of Defence’s Artificial Intelligence Agency (AMIAD), the system is based on the reuse of the 20mm AA53 T2 anti-aircraft cannon. Originally designed in the 1970s and mounted on a towed carriage, this cannon has been modernized with the addition of a SANDRA thermal camera, derived from the one used on the Mistral missile, and a fire control system supported by algorithms. Capable of firing 700 rounds per minute and with an effective range of 1,500 meters against low-flying aircraft, this system is particularly suited for engaging threats such as drone swarms or light unmanned aerial vehicles.
One of the key features of Standard 1 is its reliance on existing equipment, offering a cost-effective alternative to missile-based air defense systems. With a laser designation system and optimized computing components, it provides improved engagement performance while remaining user-friendly for crews. Initial units were delivered in early 2025 to the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35e RAP), while a prototype of Standard 2—integrating artificial intelligence for predictive targeting—is expected by mid-2025.
The development of Standard 2 is already underway with a clear objective: enabling the system to calculate the trajectory of hostile drones in order to determine the most effective moment to engage. The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has initiated an industrialization process to equip the system with new hardware kits, including day/night sensors, AI-compatible processors, and human-machine interfaces. The first six systems are expected to be delivered within three months, with full-scale production reaching fifty units by the end of 2026.
Future versions of PROTEUS will no longer be mounted on the original TRM 2000 trucks, but instead on new Vampire vehicles supplied by Scania, also displayed at COMBATERRE. These 4×4 air-transportable vehicles, equipped with 460-horsepower engines, are designed to accommodate various weapon systems such as the Mistral-capable PAMELA platform, and now PROTEUS. They provide a more mobile and contemporary platform for short-range air defense.
The 17th Artillery Group (17e GA), based in Biscarrosse, plays a key role in the advancement of counter-drone capabilities across Army branches, through its National Evaluation and Training Center for All-Arms Anti-Aircraft Warfare (CNEF LATTA). This center supports troop training and tests emerging technologies like PROTEUS in environments increasingly shaped by drone threats. The 17e GA has also developed low-cost drone targets using technologies such as 3D printing to support realistic training scenarios.
The PROTEUS project forms part of a broader national strategy led by the Task Force LAD, created in 2024 to reinforce France’s short-range ground-based air defense. Its development reflects an agile innovation model based on modularity, re-use of legacy systems, and progressive integration of advanced technologies. The PROTEUS system, adaptable to platforms such as the Scorpion vehicle family, may eventually become part of a larger connected defense ecosystem aligned with modern combined arms operations.
The unveiling of PROTEUS Standard 1 at COMBATERRE 2025 illustrates the Army’s ability to rapidly convert existing equipment into operational countermeasures. Resulting from cooperation between STAT, DGA, AMIAD, SIMMT, and the French defense industry, the system reflects a pragmatic and scalable approach to counter-drone warfare. With fifty units already planned for delivery, the system is positioned for wide deployment. Its modularity and cost-efficiency may also make it attractive to foreign armed forces facing similar operational needs. In a global context marked by the proliferation of unconventional aerial threats, PROTEUS could emerge as a reference in the evolving domain of short-range air defense.