CONFIRMED: CHAOS Industries announced the VESPID Mk 0 and Mk 1 interceptors on 12 October 2026. The production figures are the COMPANY’S EXPECTATION. Launcher and contract details are REPORTED by Breaking Defense, citing a CHAOS spokesperson. No price has been given, and VESPID is not under contract with any military.
US defence company CHAOS Industries has introduced VESPID, “a family of very low-cost interceptors designed to provide point and area defense against Group 1–3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one-way attack (OWA) threats” [1].
An interceptor is a small missile or drone that is launched to hit and destroy an incoming threat in the air. “Group 1–3” is the US military’s way of grouping drones by size, from small hand-launched drones up to medium-sized ones. One-way attack drones are designed to fly into their target and explode.
Two versions
- “VESPID Mk 0 is man-portable and designed for austere environments” [1].
- “VESPID Mk 1 is a faster, more maneuverable variant designed for high-density installations with a multitube launcher” [1].
Breaking Defense reports, citing a company spokesperson, that the multitube launcher “is an existing system from ISS Aerospace, a UK company”, and that the Mk 1 “can be integrated with Coyote launchers as well” (REPORTED) [2]. Breaking Defense notes that Coyote integration “is a key requirement for the Army’s Next Generation C-sUAS Missile program, which the service launched in August” [2].
Why CHAOS says it built it
“We need effective interceptors that can be built quickly, fielded broadly, and employed at a cost that makes sense against threats arriving at scale,” said Dr. Bo Marr, co-founder and CTO at CHAOS Industries. “With CHAOS radars already providing the sensing layer, VESPID closes the threat kill chain” [1].
The company says VESPID works with its own radars: it is “interoperable with CHAOS’ multistatic radar systems”, and has “Integrated detection-to-intercept capability with CHAOS’ VANQUISH PRIME radar systems” [1]. The release also lists “Commercial off-the-shelf components and simplified assembly designed for high-volume production” and an “Ability to operate in congested electromagnetic environments” [1].
A “congested electromagnetic environment” means a battlefield full of radio signals and jamming. Breaking Defense reports the spokesperson said this refers to a plan to use CHAOS’s radar transmitter “as a datalink to burn through jamming” (REPORTED) [2].
CHAOS has not published a unit price.
Production plans (COMPANY EXPECTATION)
“The company expects to achieve an initial production capacity of 12,000 interceptors per year, with a manufacturing architecture capable of expanding to 50,000 as customer demand grows” [1]. Breaking Defense reports that the work “would be done at the company’s recently opened El Segundo, Calif. location” (REPORTED) [2].
These are plans, not current output.
No military contract yet (REPORTED)
According to Breaking Defense, the spokesperson said the firm “is not under contract at this time with any militaries”, adding: “We are participating in several domestic and international competitions with both Mk 0 and Mk 1 variants” [2].
Where to see it
CHAOS says “VESPID Mk 1 will make its first public display at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 12–14”, aboard the Forterra MESA vehicle [1]. Breaking Defense says CHAOS is one of many companies showing new missile defence systems at the show, “including low-cost interceptors from Anduril and Lockheed Martin” [2].
CHAOS “was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners”. It is headquartered in Los Angeles [1].
Sources
- CHAOS Industries press release via Business Wire, “CHAOS Industries Introduces VESPID Family of Very Low-Cost Interceptors to Reenable Maneuver”, 12 October 2026. https://vva.marketminute.com/article/bizwire-2026-10-12-chaos-industries-introduces-vespid-family-of-very-low-cost-interceptors-to-reenable-maneuver
- Breaking Defense (Aaron Mehta), “CHAOS Industries joins low-cost interceptor parade with VESPID design”, 12 October 2026. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/10/chaos-industries-joins-low-cost-interceptor-parade-with-vespid-design/
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