The most effective counter-drone system is not a radar dish on a tripod. It is a drone itself, flying a persistent, 360-degree overwatch. That is the foundational bet of Alpine Eagle GmbH, a Munich-based defense startup whose Sentinel system uses swarming UAVs equipped with K-band radar to detect and neutralize enemy drones. Since 2024, its technology has moved from prototype to operational deployment with the German Bundeswehr and into live testing against FPV drones in Ukraine [Dronelife, March 2026] [United24 Media, August 2025].
A technical wedge in a crowded field
The crowded counter-UAS market is dominated by ground-based systems, which face inherent limitations with terrain and line-of-sight. Alpine Eagle's wedge is to move the sensor and effector into the air. The Sentinel system deploys a network of UAVs, each carrying an active radar operating in the 24.45-24.65 GHz band. This creates a mobile detection bubble, with each drone providing a 120-degree field of view for collective 360-degree coverage [Unmanned Systems Technology, 2025].
The company claims a detection range of up to 4 kilometers for Group 1-2 drones with an accuracy of 10 meters or less at a 1-kilometer distance [Unmanned Systems Technology, 2025]. Upon identifying a threat, the system can deploy airborne interceptor drones for kinetic neutralization or use electronic countermeasures, all coordinated by an edge AI layer for target discrimination.
The founder's aerospace pedigree
Execution in defense hardware requires deep domain credibility, which Alpine Eagle's leadership appears to have secured. CEO Jan-Hendrik Boelens was previously chief engineer at Airbus, CTO at urban air mobility company Volocopter, and CTO at drone manufacturer Quantum Systems [HTGF]. His co-founder, Director Timo Breuer, brings a research background from Microsoft Research and the Fraunhofer Society [HTGF].
This technical pedigree was likely a key factor in attracting a seed round of €10.25 million (approximately $10.9 million) led by IQ Capital, with participation from General Catalyst, HCVC, HTGF, and Expeditions Fund [HTGF] [Tech.eu, March 2025].
| Role | Name | Prior Experience |
|---|---|---|
| CEO & Co-Founder | Jan-Hendrik Boelens | Airbus, Volocopter CTO, Quantum Systems CTO |
| Director & Co-Founder | Timo Breuer | Microsoft Research, Fraunhofer Society |
| Business Development Manager | Benji Pauly | (Role based in Germany/UK) [LinkedIn] |
Traction beyond the slide deck
For a hardware startup founded in 2023, Alpine Eagle has moved with notable speed from development to documented field use.
- Initial deployment. The system was first deployed with the German Bundeswehr in 2024 [Dronelife, March 2026].
- Operational testing. By August 2025, Sentinel units were undergoing operational testing in Ukraine [United24 Media, August 2025].
- Commercial expansion. The company has since secured contracts with three additional European customers and expanded its commercial operations into the United Kingdom and the Netherlands [Unmanned Systems Technology, March 2026].
- Production scaling. In March 2026, Alpine Eagle announced it was scaling production of Sentinel systems at a new facility in Munich and had entered a partnership with Dutch UAV maker DeltaQuad [Dronelife, March 2026].
The company also reports it has achieved seven-figure revenues since launch [Defense Advancement, 2026].
The scalability question
Alpine Eagle's technical approach is elegant, but scaling a hardware-and-software system for national defense introduces a different class of challenges. The most immediate question is manufacturing and supply chain resilience. The new Munich production facility is a direct response to this [Tech.eu, March 2026].
The second pressure point is algorithmic robustness. The system's effectiveness hinges on its edge AI correctly discriminating between threats and civilian drones in cluttered electromagnetic environments. Finally, the competitive landscape is formidable. Alpine Eagle is not just competing with other startups but with entrenched defense primes and electronic warfare specialists.
The next twelve months
The coming year will be defined by production execution and partnership depth. Scaling the Munich facility to meet demand from existing and new European contracts is the primary operational hurdle. Financially, with over €10 million in seed capital and seven-figure revenues, the company is likely positioning for a Series A round to fund larger production runs and further international expansion.
Technical Breakdown: The Sentinel Stack Sentinel is a full-stack system. The hardware layer consists of COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) UAVs modified with proprietary radar pods and interceptor attachments. The software layer, Sentinel-OS, handles swarm coordination, sensor fusion, and threat classification at the edge [Unmanned Systems Technology, 2025].