At a press conference in Finland on 11/9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned the West against over-reliance on costly air defense missiles while inexpensive long-range drones are becoming increasingly prevalent.
"A Patriot missile costs 2-3 million USD, while a Shahed or Geran-type drone costs 100,000 USD. It's not advisable to use Patriot missiles against these drones," Zelensky said.
Zelensky's statement came after at least 19 drones entered Poland the previous day, amidst a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine. Poland and its NATO allies deployed F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, shooting down at least three drones. German Patriot batteries stationed in Poland were also placed on high alert.
The downed drones were reportedly identified as the inexpensive Geran or Gerbera decoy aircraft. NATO fighters appear to have used AIM-120C-7 air-to-air missiles, costing around two million USD each, as well as AIM-120X missiles, priced at 400,000-500,000 USD each.
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Wreckage of a drone that entered Polish airspace on 10/9. Photo: Visegrad 24 |
Wreckage of a drone that entered Polish airspace on 10/9. Photo: Visegrad 24
"They used missiles worth 1-1.2 million USD, which is not a sensible response," Zelensky commented. "Of course, NATO must do everything to ensure the safety of its citizens, but in terms of the overall picture and operational strategy, this is not reasonable."
Experts believe the drone incursion into Poland served as a test of NATO's air defense systems against such attacks. According to Zelensky, it appears that no NATO member is fully prepared to counter drones.
"We have offered to assist in their training, because Poland's Patriot system couldn't do anything during the attack with Geran-type drones. Patriot is a ballistic missile defense system," Zelensky explained. "When facing attacks with 500-800 Geran drones daily, we don't use Patriots to take them down."
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Locations of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Graphic: FT |
Locations of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Graphic: FT
The Ukrainian military utilizes mobile air defense units equipped with pickup trucks or lorries mounted with anti-aircraft guns, electronic warfare systems, interceptor drones, and helicopters to counter drones. Occasionally, Ukrainian fighter jets are also involved in these operations.
Zelensky referred to this as a multi-layered air defense network and advised NATO member states to adopt this approach. "Only Ukraine and Russia possess such an air defense network," he stated.
Western experts and defense officials have previously pointed out NATO's dependence on advanced weaponry, including F-35 fighter jets and Patriot air defense missiles, to deal with inexpensive drones. They assess this is not a sustainable solution in high-intensity conflicts and recommend incorporating more cost-effective alternatives.
Nguyen Tien (From War Zone, AFP, AP, Businessinsider)
