Draken Sting

History

Draken Sting is a simulated ground-based air defence system threat developed by Draken, a United Kingdom defence company. Together with Phantom Sky, a range control and situational awareness platform, it forms part of Draken's wider Red Force ecosystem.

Draken completed the first training delivery of Sting alongside Phantom Sky during the Royal Air Force's Cobra Warrior 26-2 training event, staged from 14 September to 2 October 2026. Sting was deployed from two RAF bases and generated simulated surface-to-air missile threats to challenge UK and allied aircrews from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States within a contested training scenario, supporting suppression of enemy air defences training. Multiple Sting threat emitters and surrogate systems were networked through Phantom Sky, enabling real-time monitoring, adjudication, and control of threat systems across different UK locations. Draken CEO Nic Anderson described the first deployment as "a significant achievement for Draken and our customer," adding that working alongside Phantom Sky, Sting provides "a realistic, adaptable and affordable way to replicate modern air defence threats in the live training environment." Draken stated that months of rapid development and integration preceded the deployment.

Specifications

Draken describes Sting as a rapidly deployable surface threat replication system that can replicate an individual surface-to-air missile site, with threat-representative options for modern-day SAM systems. The system includes multiple threat emitters, rotators, and surrogate platforms with representative signatures compelling across the electro-optical, infrared, and radio frequency spectrums. Integrated with Phantom Sky, Sting enables the construction of a simulated integrated air defence system with instant credit for successful engagements. Draken states the system supports AI-driven threat engagement capable of modelling simulated SAM events, with live shot adjudication providing real-time kill notification for debriefing. Multiple Sting systems can be networked together to accurately reflect a modern air defence system, and the system can be rapidly reconfigured to replicate a range of modern SAM systems, including deployment in urban areas.