Drone Swarm Defense System.

• What problem does your design idea solve?

Countering extremely high speed, potentially explosive projectiles that are trying to blow up very expensive ships.

• What are the potential benefits?
Functioning defense, relatively inexpensive compared to what it is protecting. Easy to replace, upgrade and revamp.

• How is your idea novel or an improvement on what is currently available in the marketplace?
I do not know of any currently available technology similar to this intent other than armor.

• Where would this idea be applied?
Protecting billion dollar Aircraft carriers, destroyers and other large ships.

• What is the market potential?
This could be a standard product implemented in some fashion for many types of large vehicles.

• How does your design work?
3-5’ drones(Heli/Quad or Plane) controlled by a central computer fly themselves directly into the path of oncoming projectiles. These drones would already be in the air flying a swarm coverage pattern 100-200 feet in radius around the ship. By being already in the air, they have the potential to be fast enough to block scram/hyperspeed projectiles and missiles.

• How would your product be manufactured?
Automated assembly line.

• How would the production cost compare with products already in the marketplace?
As far as I am aware, nothing compares in capability, but manufacturing cost would likely be negligible compared to benefits.

Upon detection of incoming missile, the swarm forms a wall at the calculated target area. These drones should be armored or contain explosive charges to help divert incoming projectiles, the extra mass would be helpful for slowing the projectile. Potentially could also contain some sort of eject-able net for debris or to snag/slow/spin incoming objects.

Power systems would be battery charged and plug and play from the ships power source. Automated take off and landing procedures could allow systems to land in chargers automatically and rotate in shifts without user intervention.

As an explanation of the illustration:
Top left: A ship surrounded by a defensive swarm

Top right: A enemy fires a DF-21 or other projectile/missle at the protected ship from land or sea

Bottom left: As soon as the projectile is detected by ship systems the relevant parts of the swarm flies as fast as it can into the way.

Bottom right: DF-21/missle has been broken/destroyed/deflected by armored drone impacts and explosive charges, hopefully eliminating or reducing direct damage from enemy attack. More drones automatically launch to take the place of those destroyed.