Jet-powered versions of the Shahed/Geran UAVs, capable of speeds of 330–550 km/h, have created a new challenge for air defense. They are beyond the capabilities of piston-powered FPV drones and machine-gun teams, while using conventional surface-to-air missiles against them is excessively expensive.
Ukraine’s defense industry and the Brave1 defense technology cluster have developed a technological response. Four domestically developed interceptor platforms have already undergone field testing.
The main task now is to bring these systems to serial-production standards and scale manufacturing to thousands of units.
There are four main types of interceptors:
- Turbojet fixed-wing UAVs. They can reach speeds of 500–600 km/h and destroy their targets either by direct impact or by detonating a warhead nearby.
- Hybrid jet-propeller platforms. A jet booster provides rapid acceleration and immediate deployment toward the target area, while a propeller-driven engine assists with maneuvering during the final guidance phase.
- Micro-SAMs. Lightweight and relatively inexpensive short-range surface-to-air guided missiles designed for intercepting aerial targets.
- Modified heavy FPV drones. Multirotor or fixed-wing systems equipped with additional boosters, enabling them to reach speeds exceeding 400 km/h.
To reliably catch up with high-speed targets, interceptor platforms need to achieve speeds of at least 450–600+ km/h.
Initial target designation is provided by radar, followed by automatic tracking using machine vision or infrared seeker systems.
An interceptor costs thousands or tens of thousands of US dollars, allowing Ukraine to preserve expensive air-defense missiles for more complex threats, including cruise and ballistic missiles.
Scaling up these systems could make it possible to create a dense defensive shield against high-speed UAVs and significantly strengthen the protection of Ukrainian airspace.