Intelic rolls Nexus into Ukraine's battlefield drone operations
Reuters reported on October 8th that the software is being rolled out in Ukraine, where it supplements the country's Delta battlefield-management platform. The report also described a Dutch test linking radar, sensors and interceptor drones; Intelic's Dutch defense partnership is worth more than €30M.
By Ryan Merket · Published
Primary source: Reuters
Why it matters
Reuters's October 8th report documents Nexus in battlefield use and in a recent Dutch test connecting equipment from multiple suppliers. The Dutch partnership gives Intelic more than €30M to build software for controlling different unmanned aircraft before the government chooses the hardware.
Intelic's Nexus command-and-control software is being rolled out on Ukraine's battlefield, where it supplements Delta, the country's battlefield-management platform, Reuters reported on October 8th. The report also described a test in the Netherlands in late September: Nexus linked radars, sensors and cameras from other companies to identify a mock attack, then a reconnaissance drone verified the target. A human made the final decision to launch an interceptor. Founder and CEO Maurits Korthals Altes said the process could be fully autonomous.
The battlefield deployment began earlier. Intelic's company timeline says Nexus won its first operational contract for deployment in Ukraine in November 2024 and was in frontline use by May 2025. In its partnership announcement, Intelic says the software has been used in operational conditions on the Ukrainian battlefield since 2025. A September 28th newsroom listing describes a Latvia counter-drone use case as closing the sensor-to-effector loop. The listing identifies it as a video and provides no further detail.
The Dutch government's procurement model puts software ahead of hardware. In its July 3rd partnership announcement, the Ministry of Defence said Intelic would build an environment to control different types of unmanned aircraft together, with software developed first and hardware to follow. The ministry said the long-term partnership would give Intelic time to develop the system and retain expertise in the Netherlands. Intelic's company history puts the agreement at more than €30M.
In the Netherlands test, the system linked target detection, AI verification and an interceptor drone through a single interface. Intelic engineer Anika Kempter told Reuters that European forces face a fragmented supply of drones from different manufacturers, often with separate screens. Kempter said Nexus is meant to connect those systems in Ukraine. Reuters reported that the system supplements Delta.
Korthals Altes and co-founder Jeroen Lappenschaar met in the Dutch military's Robotics and Autonomous Systems unit before starting Avalor AI in Amsterdam in September 2021. Marc Derksen joined as the third co-founder, bringing experience in simulation environments, according to Intelic's company history. Avalor AI became Intelic in July 2025. Avalor AI raised a €2M seed round led by Keen Venture Partners in June 2024, according to its funding announcement.
Korthals Altes told Reuters that operators can add new weapon systems to Nexus as air-defense hardware changes.