Portable 40mm launcher kills drones by firing 6.5-feet-long steel chains at 80 m/s — German researchers' low-tech mechanical 'bola' outshines textile, drops quadcopters without lasers or EMPs

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology proposed and tested a portable 40mm anti-drone launcher that fires 70-gram steel chains at about 80 m/s.

Simulations and early trials suggest the chains can wrap around quadcopter propellers, stop the rotors, and bring drones down, with better range than textile nets.

The system could provide a low-cost, low-power option for protecting sensitive sites where electronic warfare or lasers are impractical.

Its main drawback is a short effective range, which limits how broadly it can be deployed.