Russia's Shaheds are getting faster: How Ukraine is learning to shoot them down
Ukraine's Defense Forces destroy jet-powered Shahed drones with drones and missiles (photo: Getty Images)
The main challenge in shooting down jet-powered drones is the speed of the aerial target. It significantly reduces reaction time and creates additional difficulties in intercepting them, said Kyrylo Liukov, head of the Unmanned Technologies Department at the Serhiy Prytula Foundation.
According to him, when shooting down jet-powered drones, classic interceptor drones lose effectiveness due to limitations in their maximum speed and flight time, while surface-to-air missile systems remain in short supply, primarily because of a shortage of interceptor missiles and their cost.
At the same time, jet-powered UAVs are already being successfully hit. There have been successful cases involving interceptor drones, although such targets are currently hit by multirotor interceptors only in exceptional cases. One method is interception during maneuvers and turns, when the Geran-4 loses speed.
Man-portable air defense systems remain another effective means. Their effectiveness depends on the distance and altitude of the target, as well as crew training and combat experience. At the same time, MANPADS have to be modernized and additionally equipped with thermal imaging sights and auxiliary systems.
Mobile fire groups equipped with machine guns, as before, are limited by their effective range and response time against faster targets. For point defense, automated turrets equipped with machine guns remain one viable option. Anti-aircraft guns with explosive ammunition are also effective, with an effective range of up to 2.5 km.
At the same time, the search for jet-powered interceptors to counter the new threat continues. There is currently no mass-produced solution due to the difficulty of scaling jet engines and the cost of the finished product.
At speeds of 400–600 km/h, the demands on operators also increase, so one area of development is the automation of the entire process — from launch and reaching the target area to automatic target acquisition and automatic detonation.
As previously reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation, Russia is launching jet-powered drones at Kyiv in waves. The main goal of this enemy tactic is to exhaust the air defense system and paralyze life in the capital with constant air raid alerts.
Russian industry is operating at an accelerated pace, which is why Russia is launching jet-powered drones at Ukraine practically straight off the production line, without even storing them in warehouses for extended periods.
