Ukrainian instructors shocked by how US military shoots down Shahed drones — The Times
Ukrainian Armed Forces instructors were shocked by how US military shoot down Shahed drones (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian instructors sent to the Middle East were shocked by how US military shoots down Shahed-type attack drones, The Times reports.
Ukraine sent a group of instructors consisting of 201 specialists to Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia to help defend against Iranian missiles and drones.
One Ukrainian officer said he was surprised that Gulf states launched as many as 8 Patriot interceptor missiles at a single enemy target, each costing more than 3 million dollars.
It is noted that data from missions of Ukrainian Patriot crews were shared with allies who also use this system. However, the United States and its allies in the Persian Gulf did not pay attention to the complex calculations that Ukraine made to improve interception rates of enemy targets.
"I don't understand what they (allies - ed.) had been doing, what they have been looking at for the four years we've been fighting," said a Ukrainian officer.
According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the first four days of the war in Iran, the United States and its allies launched more than 800 Patriot missiles, which is about 200 more than Ukraine has received over the past three years.
"Often they (United States and its allies – ed.) were firing thoughtlessly. For example, they used Standard Missile-6 from a ship, a very good missile costing about 6 million dollars, to shoot down Shahed worth 70,000 dollars," one Ukrainian officer noted.
Ukrainian instructors also pointed out that allies are often unable to properly conceal their expensive radars from the enemy.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side has significant experience in this area: mobile radar systems constantly change positions, so Russian forces are almost unable to hit them.
One Ukrainian expert gave an illustrative example: only three cheap Shahed drones managed to hit early warning radar AN/FPS-132 worth about one billion dollars, as well as at least one radar of high-altitude air defense systems Terminal, which costs about 300 million dollars.
According to him, these objects were clearly visible in open satellite images.
"For two months, they stood in the same place. Then the Shaheds flew in. Three Shaheds costing around $70,000 each. And that was it," the Ukrainian officer said.
At the same time, Ukrainian Colonel Kyrylo Peretyatko from the tactical air defense group noted that no country should relax when it comes to studying air defense.
According to him, Ukraine's lessons on organizing weapons against a wide range of targets can help other countries.
"Such operations, such clashes, have not existed in world history like those happening in Ukraine now. This is a completely different war, which all countries are studying," Peretyatko said.
Instructors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine sent to the Middle East
Ukraine has the greatest experience in the world in countering strike drones. As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, without it, the United States and its partners in the Middle East will find it very difficult to build a strong defense.
Recently, Zelenskyy announced that he had sent three teams of Shahed specialists to the Middle East — to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Riyadh is negotiating the purchase of Ukrainian interceptor drones and electronic warfare systems. The contract has not yet been signed, but its value may reach millions of dollars.
