Helix Defense Announces STING Counter-UAS Munition Ready for Deployment

From Helix Defense 

SAN MARCOS, Texas, June 22, 2026 — Helix Defense™ today announced that its patented STING® counter-small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) munition is available for deployment as military, law enforcement and homeland security organizations confront an accelerating drone threat. 

 
The announcement comes amid growing public awareness of unauthorized drone activity near military installations, public events and critical infrastructure across the United States. 

 
STING, the Small UAS Tactical Intercept Neutralizing Grenade, is designed to defeat drone threats in the last 100 meters, where time is limited and traditional options become increasingly constrained. 
 
“Small drones have fundamentally changed the economics of security and warfare,” said Jon Mrkonich, Chief Financial Officer at Helix Defense. “The question is no longer whether a threat can be defeated. The question is whether it can be defeated quickly, safely and at a cost that makes operational sense. STING was developed to solve that problem.” 
 
Unlike fixed-site systems that require power and infrastructure, STING is fired from existing 40mm launchers already fielded by military and law enforcement organizations. Operators can set engagement distance in real time and deploy a physical defeat mechanism effective against autonomous, GPS-guided and fiber-optic-guided drone threats. 
 
STING has completed testing of more than 10,000 prototype rounds, demonstrated compatibility with most 40mm grenade launchers and participated in evaluations with U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations organizations. The company maintains a fully domestic manufacturing supply chain and currently has production capacity that can scale to meet customer demand. 
 
As drone threats continue to evolve, effective protection requires layered defenses that combine detection, electronic warfare and physical defeat options. 
 
“Defense in depth only works if every layer has an answer,” said Mrkonich. “STING is the answer for the last 100 meters.”