# Air Force Develops Mantis Counter-Drone System

A team of U.S. Air Force airmen developed Mantis, an AI-powered shotgun intended as a low-cost, last-ditch defense against inexpensive drones in point-defense scenarios. The development highlights an Air Force interest in applying artificial intelligence and cost-effective systems to counter drone threats; the signal does not identify a contract award, funding amount, solicitation, or acquisition schedule.

- Procurement teams can assess whether low-cost, close-range counter-drone capabilities such as Mantis could complement existing point-defense approaches.
- For industry stakeholders, the development points to an operational focus on affordable AI-enabled counter-UAS technologies, but does not establish a formal procurement opportunity or vendor requirement.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 23, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)

### Sources
- [Airmen design AI-powered shotgun for last-ditch drone defense](https://www.defensenews.com/video/2026/09/23/airmen-design-ai-powered-shotgun-for-last-ditch-drone-defense) - Defense News