Air Force: Drone Interceptors Will Not Be Available In Necessary Quantities Until At Least End Of November

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) According to Ukrinform, Colonel Yurii Cherevashenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force for air defense, announced this during a meeting of the Temporary Investigative Commission.

“The number of jet-powered drones has increased significantly since July. It now accounts for about 40% of all unmanned aerial vehicles deployed across Ukraine, and in certain areas, it makes up as much as 60% of attacks. And it continues to grow. We predict that jet-powered drones will account for about 80% of attacks,” he said.

According to Cherevashchenko, to counter attack drones, the Air Force is actively collaborating with manufacturers of jet-powered UAV interceptors. Currently, about 20 companies are in communication with the military, each at different stages of readiness for their products. The Air Force has established test zones where these drones are being deployed in combat conditions.

“Fourteen companies already have specific products and have begun test flights; of these, six companies have achieved certain results in destroying jet-powered drones, and three of them have results that can be considered promising solutions. We are currently actively collaborating to improve their performance,” said the deputy commander.

He noted that mass production of such drones is not currently on the table, as they are quite expensive and the companies do not always have their own funding. Production is currently in the tens of units.

“One of them has already been adopted into service and has shown the best results. Two have undergone codification, one of which is the 'Predator,'” Cherevashchenko reported.

Some of these systems, he said, were originally designed for other tasks but were quickly adapted specifically for intercepting aerial targets. In response to a follow-up question about how they work, the deputy commander confirmed that an operator on the ground views the drone's feed and controls it in real time.

“Their speed is about 460–500 kilometers per hour. Some manufacturers claim speeds of up to 700,” he noted.

Regarding scaling up production, Cherevashchenko noted that it would be best to check with the manufacturers for specific volumes.

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“For our part, we are already training personnel: first, basic pilot training, then specialization specifically in interception,” explained the deputy commander.

According to him, the Air Force is considering two types of interceptor drones: classic rotorcraft and high-speed jet drones; deliveries of interceptors in the required quantities are not expected until at least the end of November.

As reported by Ukrinform, Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, stated that air defense forces have already begun shooting down enemy UAVs using robotic turrets.

Photo: Ministry of Defense, illustrative

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