Is MBDA's low-cost strike drone 'One Way Effector' Europe's answer to Iranian-designed Shahed?

The relatively cheap, Iranian-designed Shahed loitering munition shot to global fame after Russia used them in droves in the conflict against Ukraine, targetting energy infrastructure and military posts.  The cost-effective "kamikaze" or "suicide" Shahed-136 drone with a high explosive fragmentation warhead—rebranded as 'Geran-2' by Russia—is often deployed in groups (swarms) to saturate and exhaust air defence systems. 

 

It has been pointed out that the design of this drone—cropped delta-wing configuration, with a central fuselage that blends into the wings, and built with fiberglass, sometimes reinforced with carbon fiber—allows it to elude traditional defence systems. These drones were extensively used in both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. 

 

Although Shahed 136, the most commonly used variant of Shahed, is not known for its stealth capabilities and is relatively loud, its effectiveness lies in its numbers and ability to saturate enemy defences.

 

Now, it appears that taking a leaf out of the design and capabilities of Shahed drones, MBDA, a European multinational corporation engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of missiles and related systems, is coming out with a cheap, one-way drone, tentatively named 'One Way Effector'. 

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MBDA has reportedly showcased the drone at the ongoing Paris Air Show and plans to produce as many as 1,000 units a month. This drone is envisaged to be used in conjunction with more expensive and lethal cruise missiles and other weapon systems.

 

The jet engine-equipped 'One Way Effector', which can carry a 40kg warhead, is designed to overwhelm enemy air defences. According to Hugo Coqueret, business development manager battlefield at MBDA, this drone will be similar to a “fraction of a cruise missile.”

 

Coqueret noted that the production target of 1,000 units would mean “armed forces will be able to receive lots at a reduced cost and be able to use plenty of them."

 

“The mission is really one of saturation. It has been designed to meet this need for the return of mass in the armed forces, to cause saturation of enemy forces," Coqueret was quoted as saying.

 

Fired from the ground in salvoes, 'One Way Effector' aims to exhaust enemy resources by exerting constant pressure on air defence systems, with a warhead large enough to compel the enemy's defences to destroy it.

 

According to the company, the drone "represents a trade-off between the need for mass and performance at lower cost to meet the challenges faced by armed forces in a high-intensity context."

 

The drone has been in development since 2024. The test demonstration is expected by the end of 2025 and the initial batches are expected by 2027. 

Defence