Homegrown anti-drone system on Psara frigate proves its worth on Red Sea
The homegrown Centaur anti-drone system, installed on the Psara frigate and developed by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV), proved its worth on Sunday by playing a key role in downing two Houthi drones targeting a commercial ship.
Sources told Kathimerini that Psara has an advanced version of the Centaur, with greater power and range. Due to time constraints, the system was not installed on the Hydra frigate, which also operated in the Red Sea. However, the military leadership decided that the second ship deployed to the Red Sea should have a more effective anti-drone system.
The system operated on two levels: first, it detected the Houthi drones from a very long distance and then shot down at least one of them.
According to sources speaking to Kathimerini, shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday, Psara detected four aerial targets moving towards the Cypriot-owned commercial ship it was escorting. The EAV anti-drone system identified the four Houthi drones at a distance of more than 15 nautical miles, long before they became visible on the frigate’s air radar.
The first drone was shot down by the anti-drone system before it entered the range of the frigate’s gun by interfering with its communications and GPS. The second was hit by the frigate’s gun.
This was the first engagement of the Psara frigate as part of its participation in the EU’s Aspides operation.
