President Volodymyr Zelensky announced last weekend that "The counter-intelligence department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has achieved positive results in defending against jet-powered 'Shahed' drones. A new interceptor drone model has been developed and successfully deployed."
A video posted by Zelensky shows a delta-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) resembling Russia's Geran series being launched from a rail, then speeding over open fields. The aircraft appears to have an exhaust port on its fuselage, indicating it uses a jet turbine engine for higher speed and altitude.
In a subsequent image, a Ukrainian interceptor UAV is shown closing in on a UAV resembling a Geran-5 model, currently used by Russia. The signal was lost as the Ukrainian UAV approached its target, leaving the success of the interception unclear.
Ukrainian interceptor UAV attacks Russian Geran-5 aircraft in a video posted on 19/9. Video: X/ZelenskyyUa.
The term "Shahed" is used by Ukraine to generically refer to all Russian long-range suicide UAVs based on the Shahed-136 model developed by Iran, although current Geran versions are manufactured in Russia and possess superior technical and tactical capabilities compared to the original.
Ukraine has long emphasized the urgent need for cost-effective, mass-producible interception methods to counter Russian UAVs. These were initially small drones, bullet-shaped with four propellers, reaching a maximum speed of about 280 km/h.
Recently, Russian forces have increasingly used jet-powered UAVs with much higher speeds and altitudes, notably the Geran-5 model. This has forced Ukraine to seek new countermeasures, with delta-wing, jet-powered interceptor UAVs representing a significant design change.
President Zelensky stated in August that Ukrainian officials were working with four companies specializing in interceptor drone design to find ways to counter jet-powered Geran UAVs. Also in August, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine unveiled the jet-powered Alexa Spatium interceptor UAV.
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The Alexa Spatium UAV in a photo posted in August. Photo: MOD Ukraine. |
The Alexa Spatium UAV in a photo posted in August. Photo: MOD Ukraine.
Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian interceptor drone manufacturer, announced on 19/9 that its Sting S model was used by the 1020th Air Defense Missile Regiment to destroy a Geran-5 UAV.
Pham Giang (Source: Business Insider, Ukrainska Pravda)
