Drones & autonomous systemsE&S market

Defense & counter-UAS

Companies building counter-UAS interceptors, autonomous strike drones, and autonomous submarine defense swarms sold to the Department of Defense and NATO forces.

Why it needs cover

The exposure

This is weapons-grade autonomy sold to government customers, and it combines product liability, war-risk exclusions, and government-contract terms that a standard commercial form doesn't address. Very few carriers write this kind of exposure at all.

What we place

Coverages this class usually needs

Products & completed operationsRequired (contract)

Claims from the system's performance or failure after deliveryA defense platform's failure surfaces in the field, often under contract terms that shift liability back to the manufacturer

CGL with affirmative AI grantRequired (contract)

Third-party injury/property damage tied to the system's autonomyBase liability that answers for autonomous decision-making instead of excluding it

Aviation / UAS liabilityRequired

Third-party injury and property damage from airborne or maritime autonomous operationInterceptors and swarms operate outside standard ground liability territory

ExcessOften (contract)

Limits above the primary programGovernment contracts specify high total limits

What it costs

National benchmark premiums

Rated on: Contract value and units delivered

Full program

Quoted per program; driven by deployed fleet size, contracts, and limits.

Pricing figures are Risklytics program design targets, not published cost-guide data or quotes. Only construction & field robotics and warehouse & logistics robotics carry dollar figures, because Risklytics has built and priced real programs against them; every other class uses a qualitative pricing statement until a program is priced. Your premium depends on fleet size, contract structure, limits, deductible, and loss history.

Sources: Risklytics program design targets.

When it goes E&S

Where this risk gets hard to place

War-risk exclusions, government-contract indemnity terms, and the complete absence of admitted loss history put this in specialist aviation and defense E&S markets, not the standard surplus pool.

Contact

Talk to us about Defense & counter-UAS.

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