Defenders spend $100K–$2M per missile against threats costing $500–$35K. Ground-based C-UAS systems are blind behind terrain and limited to 2–15 km detection range. Conventional airborne ISR runs out of fuel in hours.
Nobody provides persistent, wide-area counter-drone protection at sustainable cost.
MILLIE deploys a constellation of three solar-powered HAPS (High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites) at 60,000+ ft as persistent Lattice-native sensor nodes, cueing ground-launched interceptors across a 50–200 km protection zone.
HAPS EO/IR sensors detect and classify drone threats from altitude (estimated 5–15 km range). Edge AI classifies at 20–45 ms/cycle on an onboard Lattice Mesh node.
Track data feeds to a ground C2 station via encrypted datalink. Human operator authorises engagement.
Ground-launched interceptors (Anvil, Coyote, Sting-class) execute the kill. Magazine depth: 80–400 interceptors per zone, field-reloadable.
| Building Block | Status |
|---|---|
| Solar HAPS (Airbus Zephyr) | 64-day continuous flight demonstrated (2022) |
| Interceptor drones (Ukrainian Sting) | Hundreds of confirmed kills; $2,100/unit (wartime) to $5–15K (Western production) |
| Mothership + effector (AKINCI + EREN) | First unmanned air-to-air kill, Feb 2026 |
| AI sensor fusion (Anduril Lattice) | Fielded, $100M CDAO edge mesh contract |
MILLIE closes that gap.
| Metric | MILLIE | Iron Dome | NASAMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective sensor coverage | ~1,200–6,000 km² | ~150 km² | ~700 km² |
| Cost per km² (effective) | $21,700–79,000 | ~$333,000 | ~$143,000 |
| Cost per engagement | $5–15K (Sting, Western prod.) | $50–100K (Tamir) | $1–2M (AMRAAM) |
| Magazine depth | 80–400 (reloadable) | 20 per battery | Limited |
| Persistence | 60–90+ days (solar) | Continuous (ground) | Continuous (ground) |
| Terrain masking | Immune (altitude) | Affected | Affected |
Lattice-integrated kill chain on a test range using commercial HAPS + EO/IR + Anvil/Coyote. Prove the concept with existing hardware before committing to a funded programme.