US eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones for Iran conflict — FT
Photo: Ukrainian soldiers on the front line (Getty Images)
The US and at least one other Persian Gulf country are negotiating the purchase of Ukrainian interceptor drones to destroy Iranian Shahed drones more cheaply, according to the Financial Times.
Price of attack and defense
The cost of a single Shahed kamikaze drone is approximately $30,000, while Patriot missiles, costing more than $13.5 million per unit, are used to shoot them down. With tens of thousands of Iranian drones, the Pentagon is looking for a cheaper method of defense.
As Ukraine points out, it was the first to use mass-produced interceptor drones costing several thousand dollars to destroy Russian Shahed counterparts, which are being launched en masse at Ukrainian cities.
Negotiations with US
One Ukrainian official called negotiations with the Pentagon a sensitive topic.
He says it is clear that there is a surge of interest in Ukrainian interceptor drones, which can intercept Shahed at a very low price.
A local industry representative adds that any sale of Ukrainian systems must be coordinated with Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also says that he discussed the use of Ukrainian anti-drone technologies with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Zelenskyy emphasizes that today, Ukraine has one of the best experiences in the world in countering Shahed drones. But any cooperation with partners is only possible without harming our defense capabilities.
According to experts, Iran may have tens of thousands of Shahed drones, which are actively used in conflicts. Due to their relatively low cost and mass launches, the use of expensive air defense missiles becomes economically unprofitable.
Why they turned to Ukraine
Recently, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that his country plans to bring in Ukrainian experts to help Gulf countries shoot down Iranian Shahed attack drones.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he hasn't gotten any official requests from partners for Ukrainian experts to get involved yet.
Zelenskyy agreed with the UAE on protection against Iranian drone attacks. The leaders discussed possible ways of cooperation in this area.
