Ukraine to deploy unique drone wall to destroy Shahed drones, media reports
Illustrative photo: Ukraine to deploy a drone wall to defend against Shaheds (Getty Images)
Ukraine is set to deploy the world’s first drone wall in the near future, which is intended to destroy Russian strike drones, according to Business Insider.
As the founder of the Western company Atreyd told the outlet, the system consists of dozens of small drones that form a "flying drone minefield."
According to him, the drone wall has already been sent to Ukraine and is expected to be put into operation.
Business Insider notes that the deployment of the drone wall would be the first known use of such defensive technology in real combat, giving Ukraine a new level of protection against Russian attacks.
It is expected that the system will initially be used to protect cities and critical infrastructure, but later it could be deployed closer to the front line — to defend against Russian guided aerial bombs.
How the drone wall works
Earlier, NATO held a competition in Ukraine for Ukrainian and Western defense companies to find solutions against Russian aerial bombs. Atreyd’s drone wall concept was among the finalists.
The system consists of a group of FPV-controlled drones that are launched from platforms when radars detect a threat.
Each drone is battery-powered and carries a small explosive. Drones can be positioned at different altitudes.
After takeoff, the drones form a "curtain" in the sky intended to blunt the attack — the drones detonate near incoming munitions and neutralize the threat.
"We consider ourselves as a last layer of defense," the founder of Atreyd said.
The system uses artificial intelligence that allows the "wall" configuration to change in real time depending on the trajectories of detected targets. It is also considered cost-effective: a single interception costs only a few thousand dollars, and drones that did not detonate can return to their platforms and be reused.
Atreyd says the system can operate even if GPS is jammed, because it has a preloaded 3D map of its area of responsibility. This feature is especially important given the active electronic warfare typical of the front in Ukraine.
The drones can climb to several thousand metres and are equipped with an identification system to prevent "friendly fire." Despite a high level of autonomy, an operator can intervene at any time and manually trigger an emergency shutdown.
One servicemember can control around a hundred drones, and they do not need special training or piloting experience — basic training on the system is sufficient.
According to Atreyd, during tests, the drone wall demonstrated 100% effectiveness, but its use in Ukraine will be the system’s first deployment in real combat conditions.
The company’s founder did not reveal where in Ukraine the system will be deployed. He also said his system will be able to counter even Russian jet-powered drones.
The company has already signed a contract with at least one NATO member country, which ordered a launch platform and drones.
Interception of KABs (guided aerial bombs)
Incidentally, on October 15, Ukraine’s national representative to JATEC and director for program implementation at the NATO–Ukraine Joint Centre, Colonel Valerii Vyshnivskyi, spoke about tests of interceptors for guided aerial bombs.
According to him, the winners of NATO’s Innovation Challenge competition proposed new technologies for destroying KABs.
