UAE Unveils Upgraded MCAV Armored Vehicle with Spider Net Protection Against FPV Drones.

Emirati defense firm Calidus revealed a new configuration of its Multi-Mission Combat Armoured Vehicle at UMEX 2025, featuring the Spider Net passive protection system. The upgrade reflects how rapidly evolving drone threats are reshaping armored vehicle survivability on modern battlefields.

At the UMEX 2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Calidus introduced a revised configuration of its Multi-Mission Combat Armoured Vehicle, integrating the Spider Net passive protection system aimed at countering unmanned aerial threats. Company representatives positioned the upgrade as a response to operational lessons emerging from recent conflicts, where loitering munitions and armed FPV drones have demonstrated an ability to defeat traditional armor by attacking vehicles from above or while stationary.
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 Calidus highlights its approach to adapting existing platforms to evolving threat environments, particularly in the area of counter-drone protection. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The MCAV is a 4x4 armored vehicle designed for personnel transport, armed patrol, internal security, and light combat missions. Its design is based on a chassis intended to balance tactical mobility, protection, and modularity, enabling it to operate across urban, rural, and desert environments. The vehicle is powered by a turbocharged diesel engine producing approximately 330 horsepower, coupled with an automatic transmission, allowing it to maintain a high level of mobility on roads and in off-road conditions, even when fully armored.

The MCAV’s mobility system includes a reinforced independent suspension optimized for rough terrain and sustained operations, along with a central tire inflation system that allows tire pressure to be adjusted from the driver’s position according to terrain conditions. The braking system is designed to support increased vehicle mass, while the use of run-flat tires aims to preserve mobility after limited damage. Together, these features allow the vehicle to retain maneuverability in degraded or contested environments.

In terms of protection, the MCAV features modular ballistic armor designed to withstand small-arms fire and shell fragments, with protection levels adaptable to customer requirements. The design of the floor and seating contributes to mitigating the effects of mine blasts and improvised explosive devices on the crew. It is within this protective framework that the Spider Net system is integrated, which Calidus presents as a solution intended to enhance survivability against short-range aerial threats.

The Spider Net consists of a peripheral structure enveloping the vehicle, combining a rigid frame with a fine-mesh metal net covering the sides, front, and roof. This configuration is intended to physically intercept drones before they reach the main hull or critical areas such as the crew compartment, optical systems, or roof-mounted equipment. The system operates on a fully passive basis, without sensors, jamming capabilities, or kinetic interceptors, by creating sufficient standoff distance to cause the drone to stop, deflect, or detonate prematurely.

The introduction of the Spider Net aligns with a broader trend observed on recent battlefields, where so-called cope cage structures have become widely adopted on armored vehicles, often in the form of improvised or field-fabricated solutions implemented directly by deployed units. While these adaptations reflect a genuine operational need in response to FPV drones and light loitering munitions, they frequently present limitations in terms of integration, durability, and compatibility with normal vehicle operation. With the Spider Net, Calidus emphasizes an industrially designed approach, intended to integrate this type of protection without degrading the MCAV’s core capabilities. The system is designed to preserve mobility, driver visibility, and access to vehicle functions, while adding an additional layer of passive protection.

Calidus’ explicit reference to protection against loitering munitions indicates that the Spider Net is primarily intended to counter light, relatively slow aerial threats that have become prevalent in recent conflicts. The system is positioned as complementary to active counter-unmanned aerial systems, offering continuous protection that does not rely on electrical power or electromagnetic emissions, while limiting logistical constraints.

Through its presentation at UMEX 2025, Calidus highlights its approach to adapting existing platforms to evolving threat environments, particularly in the area of counter-drone protection. Based in the United Arab Emirates, the manufacturer has progressively established a presence in the light armored vehicle segment, with growing exposure in Middle Eastern and African markets. The MCAV, offered in multiple configurations and repeatedly displayed at international defense exhibitions, reflects this export-oriented strategy. The integration of the Spider Net illustrates how solutions derived from widely observed battlefield practices are being formalized at an industrial level, accompanying the proliferation of light armored vehicles in operational environments where unmanned aerial threats have become a central factor in platform survivability.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.