According to representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry, the Pentagon and at least one Gulf country are negotiating the purchase of Ukrainian interceptors to repel Iranian drone attacks.
According to representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry, the Pentagon and at least one Gulf country are negotiating the purchase of Ukrainian interceptors to repel Iranian drone attacks.
Since the beginning of the US and Israeli attack on Iran, expensive Patriot missiles have been used to defend against waves of Iranian Shahed drones. Now the US and Arab countries are turning to Ukraine for a cheaper way to protect against the «Shaheds», the Financial Times reports .
For comparison, Shahed drones cost only $30,000, while the PAC-3 missiles used in the Patriot system cost over $13.5 million.
«Obviously, interest in Ukrainian drone interceptors that can intercept Shahed at a very low cost has increased dramatically,» said an anonymous Ukrainian official, who called the negotiations a sensitive topic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already reported that he has contacted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, regarding the use of Ukrainian technology to counter drones.
«Ukraine’s experience in combating Shahed drones is currently the most advanced in the world. However, any such cooperation aimed at protecting our partners can only take place without reducing our own defense capabilities,» Zelenskyy said.
There are a number of companies in Ukraine that produce thousands of interceptor drones per day. Oleg Malenkov, a partner at TA Ventures, has gathered a list of manufacturers whose UAVs could start shooting down «shaheeds» over the Persian Gulf countries:
Earlier, Defense Ministry advisor and radio technology specialist Sergey «Flash» Beskrestnov said that the effectiveness of the Defense Forces' anti-aircraft drones will soon reach 90% and predicted possible countermeasures from the Russians.
