Mercedes-Benz partners with Tytan Technologies to build mobile anti‑drone defense system

Mercedes‑Benz announced a partnership with Munich‑based startup Tytan Technologies to integrate the firm’s AI‑driven interceptor drones onto Mercedes vehicles, creating a mobile air‑defence platform aimed at countering small‑drone threats. The system will use the G‑Class off‑road vehicle as a base, with a Sprinter van envisaged as a mobile command centre, and will be equipped with radar, sensors and drone‑launch capabilities.

Tytan, founded three years ago by engineers from the Technical University of Munich, has already tested its Metis and Eos interceptor drones with the German Bundeswehr and the Ukrainian army. The startup secured €30 million from investors including Amira and the NATO Innovation Fund, valuing it at over €100 million. Mercedes‑Benz sees the venture as a way to utilise production capacity amid a slump in German automaker margins, rising Chinese competition and declining demand for traditional models.

The deal reflects a broader trend of European carmakers turning to the defence sector, with firms such as Volkswagen, Continental and Renault also pursuing military contracts as defence spending across NATO rises.