Operator XR launches portable VR counter-drone training

Operator XR has launched Interceptor, a virtual reality training platform for counter-drone operations aimed at military units and law enforcement agencies.

The Australian-built platform is designed to let teams train against small unmanned aerial threats without fixed infrastructure or extensive logistical support. It covers the full detect, identify, track and defeat cycle used in counter-drone operations.

The launch comes as governments and defence organisations place greater emphasis on uncrewed systems and the risks they pose. In Australia, the federal government has flagged investment of up to AUD $5 billion to strengthen uncrewed warfare capabilities, including drones, as part of a broader defence modernisation effort.

That backdrop has heightened attention on how armed forces and police units prepare for drone incursions, reconnaissance flights and swarm attacks. Training has become a particular focus because conventional facilities can take months to build or adapt, while drone threats continue to evolve quickly.

Portable training

Interceptor is intended as an alternative to that model. It can be set up in under two minutes, according to Operator XR, and a two-user configuration weighs 23kg, making it easier to move into remote or temporary locations than fixed-site simulators.

The system also runs entirely offline, with no Wi-Fi or internet connection required. That is relevant for classified work and for deployments in austere environments where communications infrastructure may be limited or unavailable.

Users can configure different drone threat scenarios, including varying aircraft types, flight behaviour and attack patterns. The platform includes an immersive threat library covering armed first-person-view platforms, reconnaissance drones and swarm formations.

Training covers both kinetic and non-kinetic responses, including electronic warfare integration. The system can also work with existing counter-small unmanned aerial systems already in use by agencies.

Broader portfolio

Interceptor adds a specialist counter-drone product to Operator XR's existing OP-2 tactical training system. While OP-2 is used for broader mission rehearsal, including building clearance and force-on-force scenarios, the new platform is focused solely on counter-small unmanned aerial systems.

This allows defence and law enforcement organisations to separate general tactical preparation from specialist counter-drone instruction. Agencies can also use both systems as part of a wider training structure.

Operator XR says its broader customer base includes 100 agencies worldwide, among them the US Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. The business was founded by former special forces personnel and operates from Sydney and Virginia.

The group is part of xReality Group, which is listed on the ASX under the code XRG. The launch of a dedicated counter-drone platform marks an expansion in scope for the subsidiary as it responds to rising demand for specialist training products.

Training pressure

Counter-drone preparation has become more urgent as inexpensive aerial systems have taken on a larger role in surveillance, disruption and attack. Defence planners have increasingly had to consider how quickly personnel can be trained to identify and respond to those threats under pressure.

Traditional live-fire and field exercises can be costly and difficult to repeat at scale. By contrast, virtual systems are being positioned as a way to rehearse scenarios multiple times with lower operating costs and fewer site constraints.

Interceptor can support between one and more than 12 concurrent personnel across several scenarios at once. The platform also includes reporting functions for formal training certification.

Chief executive Wayne Jones described the product as a response to a gap between operational requirements and existing training infrastructure.

"Complex modern warfare demands operators who master proven individual and team tactics under pressure. Battlefields are evolving faster than training infrastructure can adapt, creating a critical gap. Interceptor bridges that gap - purpose-built C-sUAS training that lets operators rehearse real tactics repeatedly, building the muscle memory and team cohesion essential for mission success. We're giving Europe's defence forces the scalable platform to train as they fight," Jones said.

In a separate comment on the launch, Jones linked the platform to the company's wider direction in immersive training and operational planning.

"ITEC provides the ideal platform to showcase how Operator XR continues to lead in immersive training and operational planning. Interceptor represents our commitment to solving the urgent challenges faced globally today," he said.