The cheapest way to kill a cheap drone might be a guided rocket that costs a fraction of a missile.

At Eurosatory 2026, French defence giant Thales unveiled the LGR275 “Proxy,” a 70 mm laser-guided rocket built specifically to shoot down small drones. It is a direct answer to the central problem of modern air defence: how to destroy a $1,000 drone without firing a $1 million missile at it.

The Cost Curve of Killing Drones

Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed an uncomfortable truth: defenders have been spending million-dollar interceptors to down drones that cost as much as a used car. That math loses a war of attrition. The fix is cheaper effectors — and the humble 70 mm rocket, guided to within centimetres by a laser, has emerged as one of the most promising.

Europe’s Counter-Drone Scramble

Thales is far from alone — counter-drone systems dominated Eurosatory 2026, reflecting how completely small drones have reshaped the battlefield. A precision rocket like the LGR275 slots between expensive guided missiles and short-ranged guns and jammers, giving forces a mid-tier weapon that is accurate, affordable, and available in quantity. In a war defined by swarms, quantity is its own kind of quality.

Sources: Thales; Eurosatory 2026; The Defense News.