The US wants interceptor drones from Ukraine, cheaper than the precious Patriots.
That is what the Financial Times revealed, reporting that the Pentagon and at least one Gulf country are considering purchasing interceptor drones developed by Kyiv to counter Iranian Shahed drone attacks. The idea emerges as several Middle Eastern states seek cheaper alternatives to US Patriot missiles, which have been used so far for defense but are considered very costly and with dwindling stocks.
The interceptor drones developed in Ukraine cost a few thousand dollars and are designed to shoot down Shaheds, which have an estimated cost of about $30,000 each. The economic comparison with traditional systems is significant: a Pac-3 interceptor missile from the Patriot system exceeds $13.5 million.
Furthermore, according to the newspaper, Gulf countries are using expensive Patriot missiles to shoot down Iranian drones, but their stocks are running out.
They are looking to the Ukrainian experience to identify cheaper solutions. A Ukrainian official described talks with the Pentagon as a “delicate” matter. “However, it is clear that there is growing interest in Ukrainian interceptor drones, which can intercept Shaheds at a very low cost.”
All the details.
WHY THE US IS TARGETING DRONES MADE IN UKRAINE
So the roles could be reversed: after Ukraine has called for US military support over the past four years, including the dispatch of the long-awaited Patriots, now Washington might want to get something from Kyiv.
After all, the country has been shooting down Russian missiles and drones, particularly Iranian-designed Shahed drones, for over four years. In January, Ukraine faced an average of 143 Shahed-type drones and devices per day, intercepting 122, according to a study by the Institute for Science and International Security, cited by Politico.
Not only that, the Pentagon must have realized that using a PAC-3 interceptor missile costing about $4 million, launched from a Patriot battery, to shoot down an Iranian Shahed drone estimated at about $30,000 is not an efficient solution.
After Trump’s decision to attack Iran alongside Israel, Tehran has been responding by using drones and ballistic missiles to strike US bases and Washington’s allied countries, as well as more distant targets like Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
“You have air defenses, and many are arriving, and you shoot down most of them,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained to reporters on Monday. “Every now and then, unfortunately, one gets through, a jet missile.”
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ZELENSKY’S POSITION
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he has been in contact with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, and Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, regarding the use of Ukrainian anti-drone technology.
“Ukraine’s experience in countering ‘Shahed’ drones is currently the most advanced in the world,” Zelensky stated. “However, any such cooperation aimed at protecting our partners can only proceed without reducing our defense capabilities.”
“Partners turn to us, Ukraine, for help,” Zelensky said Wednesday evening. “Requests in this regard have also come from the American side.”
SYSTEMS USED BY UKRAINE
Among the systems employed by Kyiv are the Merops aerial drone, developed by a company supported by former Google chief Eric Schmidt, and the Sting quadcopter, produced by the Ukrainian company Wild Hornets. Another Ukrainian company, General Cherry, also produces a fast “Shahed hunting” interceptor drone, reports the British financial daily.
In Ukraine, “there are literally a dozen companies producing kinetic interceptors – small projectile-shaped quadcopters or fixed-wing drones – for a few thousand dollars each,” said a person familiar with the talks.
According to several experts, Iran has tens of thousands of Shahed drones and has already launched hundreds against targets in the Gulf since the conflict with the US and Israel began.
IMPLICATIONS FOR UKRAINIAN DEFENSE
At the same time, Kyiv is concerned about its supplies of anti-drone ammunition. However, the country bets that using low-cost interceptors in Middle Eastern countries could help preserve global stocks of Patriot missiles, notes the FT. Ukraine still needs them to defend itself against Russian attacks carried out with ballistic and cruise missiles.
