Ukraine’s Bullet interceptor gets speed upgrade. It now has chemical accelerator to chase down Russian 500 km/h Geran-4

Ukrainian defense companies General Cherry and STRIX have integrated a chemical accelerator into the Bullet counter-drone interceptor designed to chase down Russia's jet-powered Shahed and Geran-4 drones. The system uses a chemical-energy booster rather than jet propulsion, integrated directly into the Bullet's airframe, Militarnyi reports.

The development addresses a speed gap that opened in the drone war over the past year as Russia introduced jet-powered modifications of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136. It concerns chiefly the Geran-4 variant that flies at speeds Ukrainian electric-propulsion interceptors could not match.

The chemical booster gives Bullet a fast vertical climb and the sprint speed to close on a jet target.

Chemical, not reactive: How does booster work? 

The STRIX accelerator is a chemical-energy device, not a jet engine, the company emphasized.

"This is a chemical accelerator that releases a large amount of energy during combustion," General Cherry told Militarnyi.

The chemical fuel is integrated directly into the Bullet airframe, meaning there are no components to jettison after the burn completes. The booster gives a rapid launch profile and conserves the Bullet's main battery for the pursuit and terminal phases of the intercept.

Bullet platform

General Cherry redesigned the Bullet's lower fuselage to mount the STRIX accelerator and reinforced the airframe to handle the additional structural loads of accelerated launch and pursuit.

The companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering defense technology, artificial intelligence, and battlefield systems development, with the stated goal of scaling counter-drone capabilities against the full Shahed family, including the jet-powered Geran-4.

Jet-Shahed escalation

Russia has progressively introduced jet-propelled modifications of its mass-produced Shahed-136 strike drones. Where the standard Shahed cruises at roughly 180 km/h on a piston engine, the Geran-4, first deployed in May 2026, runs on a Chinese-supplied Telefly turbojet engine rated at 160 kgf of thrust, reaching speeds of around 500 km/h.

"The enemy is increasingly using jet drones, and the pace of this growth forces us to act without delay," General Cherry said.