Vigilant Works tests interceptor designed to exceed 600 km/h

By Daniel Okafor

Backswing Ventures said Vigilant Works’ Algiz-2 interceptor is in active battlefield testing and is designed to exceed 600 kilometers per hour.

The early-stage venture capital firm announced an investment to support autonomous guidance systems, next-generation radar and manufacturing. Backswing focuses on defense and national security technologies.

What is Vigilant Works building?

Vigilant Works says it develops an integrated counter-unmanned aerial system, or C-UAS, that detects, tracks and intercepts aerial threats. Its platform combines interceptor aircraft, proprietary autonomy software and radar-based detection in one coordinated air-defense system.

According to Vigilant Works, the integrated design can produce more capable autonomous defenses by linking radar detection, software decisions and rapid interceptor deployment in one platform.

Daniel Korogodski, CEO and co-founder of Vigilant Works, said:

“We believe the next leap in counter-UAS will come from rethinking the entire interception chain, much like rocketry did decades ago. Detection, radar, autonomy, and high-speed interception cannot be developed in isolation. We’re building them as one integrated system, designed from the ground up to push the boundaries of autonomous air defense.”

Backswing Ventures said the investment reflects demand for autonomous systems that address complex threats while reducing reliance on manually operated interception. Vigilant Works said battlefield testing in Ukraine informed its approach as aerial threats evolved.

How does Algiz-2 fit the system?

Vigilant Works’ Algiz family consists of interceptor platforms designed to counter unmanned aerial systems. The first-generation Algiz-1 has undergone battlefield testing, and the company says it uses that operational experience to improve subsequent designs.

Algiz-2 is designed to address threats requiring rapid detection, tracking and interception. Vigilant Works says active evaluations assess the platform under operational conditions and collect information for further development.

Rather than developing individual components independently, Vigilant Works designs its systems as a connected architecture that links radar information, autonomous decisions and interceptor hardware for coordinated responses.

Vigilant Works says Algiz-2 links autonomous guidance directly with high-speed interceptor hardware. The company describes this as part of a broader integrated-defense strategy.

Why does Ukraine matter?

Vigilant Works says operational experience in Ukraine guides development of its autonomy software, radar capabilities and future interceptor designs. The work evaluates new capabilities against real operational requirements.

Vigilant Works says its teams work with experienced interceptor pilots to translate battlefield performance requirements into software improvements and future changes to the interceptor designs.

Bohdan Boryslavski, CTO and co-founder of Vigilant Works, said:

“Building both the autonomy software and the interceptor platform gives us a unique advantage. We learn directly from Ukraine’s best interceptor pilots, turn real-world operational experience into data, and iterate at a pace few can match. We’re not just automating today’s best pilots, we’re building autonomy to outperform them.”

What does the new capital support?

The company says its counter-UAS workflow identifies a potential threat, tracks its movement, determines an appropriate response and deploys an interceptor. Proprietary autonomy software is intended to coordinate these activities, while radar-based detection supports the integrated platform.

Backswing Ventures said the investment will fund expanded manufacturing as Vigilant Works prepares to scale across Ukraine and NATO-allied markets. The company also plans to expand production capacity and commercial operations in allied countries while continuing autonomy and radar development in Ukraine.

Vigilant Works said it belongs to Brave1, Ukraine’s defense technology coordination platform. It was previously selected for the Brave1 and Ministry of Defence EU4UA program. These relationships place the company within Ukraine’s expanding defense technology ecosystem.

Vigilant Works says its experience developing technology under active operational conditions gives it insight into modern counter-drone defense requirements. The company intends to offer those capabilities to additional defense customers across allied markets.

What is Backswing backing?

Backswing invests in early-stage companies developing defense, security and national resilience technologies. The firm targets companies addressing military capability gaps and emerging threats.

Backswing Ventures says wider military use of unmanned aerial systems has increased demand for technologies that identify threats and combine radar, autonomous software and high-speed interceptor platforms.

Kyle Asman, managing partner at Backswing Ventures, said:

“We are excited to support Vigilant Works as they continue developing and scaling their autonomous defense capabilities. The evolution of aerial threats is creating an increasingly urgent need for effective counter-UAS solutions. Vigilant Works has the benefit of developing its technology in an environment where these capabilities are being tested against real operational requirements.

We believe the team’s focus on autonomous interception, radar, and high-speed threats addresses an important and growing need across the defense ecosystem.”

Backswing believes Vigilant Works’ integrated approach positions it to meet growing counter-UAS demand. Vigilant Works said it will use the investment to advance next-generation systems and expand production and commercial operations.

With Algiz-2 in active testing and its first overseas commercial agreements secured, Vigilant Works said it is pursuing a broader allied market for its autonomous air-defense platform. Its stated strategy centers on integrating high-speed interception, radar detection and proprietary autonomy into a scalable system.

The next proof point is whether current battlefield evaluations can support wider production and additional commercial agreements across NATO-allied markets.