Kyiv to expand production of Shahed-targeting interceptor drones after successful testing

Ukraine’s defense industry has developed several interceptor drones designed to counter Russian Shahed one-way attack UAVs, Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin announced at the Ukrainian Weapons 2024, Militarnyi reported on 11 April.

One of these drone-based developments has been successfully tested over Kyiv Oblast for the past month, prompting authorities to expand the project to other regions, according to the Minister.

“This is a cool case for a drone-based air defense system, and our production capabilities allow us to scale it further up,” Smetanin said.

The Minister did not specify the name of this particular project, nor those of other Shahed interceptors.

Militarnyi notes that one of such projects was recently presented to a Belgian delegation, including Prime Minister Bart De Wever during his visit to Kyiv. According to developers, their interceptor drone has destroyed more than 20 Shahed-type UAVs over the past two months. The system can also target smaller aircraft, including reconnaissance drones conducting surveillance over Ukrainian territory.

While detailed specifications remain classified, developers revealed the drone reaches a maximum speed of 200 km/h and can fly at altitudes up to 5 km.

Another known model features a cross-shaped wing in the rear section and a wing with vertical rudders closer to the nose. Its horizontal and vertical rudders are positioned in the forward section, while the rear wings provide stabilization only without control capabilities.