What is the DELUGE drone and who makes it?

DELUGE is a jet-powered, expendable One-Way Effector (OWE) drone developed by European defence group MBDA. It was unveiled at Eurosatory 2026. It has a 500 km range, carries up to 50 kg of payload, and flies at approximately 400 km/h. It is not designed to be recovered after a mission.

What is a One-Way Effector and why does it matter?

A One-Way Effector is an expendable attack drone pre-programmed for single-use — it is never recovered. The concept is central to saturation attack tactics: deploying multiple low-cost drones to overwhelm and exhaust an adversary's expensive interceptor missiles and air-defence systems simultaneously.

How does DELUGE work alongside the LCM Mk2 missile?

DELUGE is designed to accompany the LCM Mk2 cruise missile during long-range strike missions. By presenting enemy air-defence networks with additional simultaneous targets, it forces adversaries to split their intercept resources, increasing the likelihood that the LCM Mk2 and other strike assets successfully reach their objectives.

MBDA Unveils DELUGE One-Way Attack Drone: 500 km…

MBDA Unveils DELUGE One-Way Attack Drone: 500 km Range, 50 kg Payload

European defence group MBDA has officially unveiled the DELUGE jet-powered expendable drone system — designated a One-Way Effector (OWE) — at Eurosatory 2026. The system offers a 500 km range, 50 kg payload capacity, and a cruising speed of approximately 400 km/h. Designed to accompany long-range strike missions alongside the new LCM Mk2 cruise missile, DELUGE is intended to complicate enemy air-defence responses through saturation tactics.

20 days ago

Highlights

MBDA unveiled the DELUGE One-Way Effector drone at Eurosatory 2026, with a maximum range of 500 km and a 50 kg payload capacity.

DELUGE flies at approximately 400 km/h and is a jet-powered expendable system not designed for recovery after deployment.

The drone is designed to operate alongside the LCM Mk2 cruise missile, generating multiple simultaneous targets to saturate enemy air-defence networks.

The One-Way Effector concept aims to exhaust costly adversary interceptors using relatively low-cost expendable platforms, consistent with modern saturation attack doctrine.

MBDA's dual showcase of LCM Mk2 and DELUGE at Eurosatory 2026 highlights the company's push for integrated manned missile-and-drone cooperative strike solutions.

European defence group MBDA has formally unveiled its jet-powered expendable drone system — DELUGE (One-Way Effector, OWE) — at Eurosatory 2026, presenting it alongside the newly announced LCM Mk2 cruise missile.

Key Technical Specifications

According to official MBDA data, DELUGE delivers the following performance parameters:

Maximum range: 500 km
Maximum payload: 50 kg
Cruising speed: approximately 400 km/h

Tactical Design Concept

DELUGE is designed to fly alongside cruise missiles such as the LCM Mk2, serving as a complementary platform for long-range strike packages. Its core tactical value lies in generating additional targets for enemy air-defence networks — forcing adversaries to simultaneously engage multiple threat types within a compressed timeframe, significantly increasing the burden on interceptor assets and command decision-making.

The One-Way Effector concept has attracted growing interest across European and U.S. military circles in recent years. By definition, OWEs are expendable attack drones not intended for recovery. Their strategic logic mirrors that of modern saturation attack doctrine: deploy relatively low-cost systems to exhaust the high-value interceptor inventory of adversary air-defence batteries.

Exhibition Context

Eurosatory is one of the world's largest land and airborne defence exhibitions. MBDA's simultaneous showcase of the LCM Mk2 and DELUGE signals the group's active push toward integrated manned missile-and-drone cooperative strike solutions.

Source: MBDA / Eurosatory 2026

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