The Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems forces announced a new modification of the Shahed: a portable anti-aircraft missile system was installed on the strike drone to try to hit Ukrainian helicopters or light aircraft during raids.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems forces announced a new modification of the Shahed: a portable anti-aircraft missile system was installed on the strike drone to try to hit Ukrainian helicopters or light aircraft during raids.
According to the military portal Militaryi, the Shahed SBS shot down by the fighters of the Darknode battalion of the 412th Nemesis brigade was carrying the 9K333 Verba MANPADS. The identification was made by the marking on the 9P333 transport-launch container, which also indicates the year of manufacture, 2025. The SBS command also noted that the UAV had a camera and a radio modem, which allowed the operator to control the drone from the territory of the Russian Federation and launch the missile.
The practical idea of this scheme is that the Shahed does not simply follow the route, but works as an ambush: the plane or helicopter must be in front of the drone and enter the camera’s viewing sector. Then the operator can detect the target, wait for a convenient angle and launch the missile. According to the description, a mesh network is used to transfer control, which was initially tested on Gerber decoy drones, and later integrated into the Shahed. Previously, another option was recorded: the Shahed with the R-60 air-to-air missile. The SBS noted that the effectiveness of such solutions against fighters is low, but for helicopters and light aircraft the risk is potentially greater, although there were no confirmed hits.
The 9K333 Verba was adopted by the Russian army in 2015 after state tests completed in 2011. It is a development of the Igla-S and Igla line, with a declared range of up to 6.0-6.4 km and an altitude of up to 3.5-4.5 km. The 9M336 missile previously contained electronics of Swiss origin, in particular the Traco Power power converter. Verba is also used as part of the Gibka-S complex based on the Tigr-M armored vehicle, where it can be launched remotely.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how a «Shahed» with an unusual antenna was spotted in Ukraine, which can help the drone stay on course even when satellite navigation is jammed by electronic warfare. This involves receiving signals from a network of aviation radio beacons: in fact, these are «radio waymarks» for the aircraft, and now they can be adapted for attack UAVs.
