The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has chosen the Cata aircraft launcher from Threod Systems for the British Army’s one-way effector (OWE) capability as part of the ASGARD programme.
Cata launcher is currently the “only launcher” that can support both ASGARD and other OWE initiatives, a representative of the MoD said, describing it as a “common interoperable solution” across Defence OWE programmes.
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Throughout 2025, the British Army Trials Unit and industry partners conducted mobility, safety, and launch trials using the Cata system.
According to MoD representatives, these tests demonstrated both operational suitability and interoperability with other OWE platforms in use by the British Army.
Following the trials, additional MoD units have requested the launcher for future OWE evaluations.
The parties are preparing to enter into a contract worth £4.99m ($6.63m) as a result of the procurement, with Threod Systems scheduled to make the first deliveries in the first quarter of 2026.
The Cata launcher employs a pneumatic mechanism to provide launch speeds up to 55 metres per second (m/s) for OWEs weighing between 50kg and 400kg from a single platform.
It supports different types of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) through platform-specific adapters, which enables armed forces to operate multiple OWEs while maintaining flexibility and managing costs.
Threod Systems CEO Arno Vaik said: “Launcher systems are critical components in the development of one-way effector capabilities for European armed forces. The trials carried out with the British Army Trials Unit demonstrated how Threod’s simple and reliable launcher architecture can provide operators with the capability to deploy multiple one-way effector drones using a single launcher system.”
Estonia-based Threod Systems manufactures uncrewed aircraft systems, electro-optical reconnaissance and surveillance solutions, and launcher systems for one-way effectors and target drones.
The company has supplied products to 27 countries, including 14 Nato members and Ukraine.
