Ukraine's Air Force gives positive outlook on weapons to counter jet-powered Shaheds
Photo: Russian Shahed drone in the sky (Getty Images)
In early July, the Ukrainian military invited a large group of manufacturers to test a new generation of interceptor drones. They were designed to counter jet-powered attack drones that Russia has been actively using in recent months.
However, the tests did not go as planned. According to two sources familiar with the exercises, some of the interceptors had control problems at high speeds.
Why jet-powered drones have become a problem
Some of the Ukrainian interceptors reached speeds of more than 400 kilometres per hour during the tests. According to Reuters sources, the drones were difficult to control at those speeds, and some crashed into nearby fields and forests.
The test results highlighted the challenge Ukraine faces ahead of winter. The threat is not limited to Russian ballistic missiles, which Ukraine must counter with a limited number of Western air defense systems. Russia is also using faster and more powerful drones.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia increased its use of jet-powered drones roughly sixfold over the three summer months.
Ukraine says it has lost the initiative
Despite active efforts to develop new countermeasures, Ukrainian forces acknowledge that Russia currently has the upper hand in this area.
Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, said Ukraine had once again lost the initiative in the field of jet-powered drones.
"With the jet drones, we completely screwed up the initiative again, that's a fact," he said.
According to Zhorin, Russian forces have already established mass production and deployment of jet-powered Shahed-type drones. Ukraine, meanwhile, still lacks a sufficiently effective response to the threat.
Ukraine is developing new interceptors
The Ukrainian Air Force, however, is offering a more positive outlook on the country's new systems.
Yuriy Cherevashenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, acknowledged the difficulties involved in developing high-speed interceptor drones. However, he said Ukraine is already close to deploying a number of affordable systems for mass production.
"I'm confident that soon we could fully have a class of weapons that will be effective at countering jet-powered UAVs," Cherevashenko told Reuters.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said countering jet-powered Shaheds was the main challenge facing Ukraine's defense industry. He said new systems were already being developed and tested at an accelerated pace.
As of September 15, Ukraine had successfully tested another interceptor designed to counter Russia's jet-powered Shaheds. The drone successfully hit its target during the test, although developers still need to improve the interceptor's control system.
