In the 2020s, attack drones were among the most significant new technologies in modern warfare. They became a common presence on the battlefield, forcing nations to invest billions in both their development and the systems designed to stop them.
By the late 2030s, that answer had arrived in the form of the drone-chaser: a high-speed defensive drone kept dormant in underground silos near military bases and other high-value assets. When incoming drone swarms were detected, sections of the ground would open and a launch rocket carrying dozens of drone-chasers would fire towards the approaching threat.
Once close to the enemy swarm, the rocket would release its payload above the formation. The drone-chasers would then dive like AI-controlled peregrine falcons, each one selecting a target before destroying it at close range with shotgun rounds. During prolonged engagements, they were recharged in mid-air by directional ultraviolet beams projected from the base below, allowing the swarm to remain airborne until the attack had been neutralised.
