FT: Pentagon explores Ukrainian drone interceptors to counter Iran

The United States and at least one Gulf state are in discussions about purchasing Ukrainian-made interceptor drones to defend against Iranian Shahed attacks, according to a report by the Financial Times citing representatives of Ukraine’s defence industry.

The talks come as Gulf countries increasingly face waves of drone threats and have been relying heavily on expensive Patriot air defense missiles to shoot down incoming unmanned aerial vehicles. Since the start of recent military operations involving Iran, these countries have used significant numbers of Patriot interceptors to counter Shahed drones, rapidly depleting their stockpiles.

Officials are now seeking more cost-effective solutions, drawing on Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering large numbers of Iranian-designed drones deployed by Russia.

Ukrainian developers have created low-cost interceptor drones designed specifically to target Shahed-type UAVs. These systems reportedly cost only a few thousand dollars per unit, making them far cheaper than traditional air defense missiles.

Among the platforms under discussion are the Merops, an aircraft-type interceptor drone, and the Sting, a bullet-shaped quadcopter capable of engaging targets either through operator control or autonomously using computer vision technology.

According to industry sources, deploying such interceptor drones would allow Gulf countries to preserve their limited stocks of high-value Patriot missiles for more complex aerial threats while significantly reducing the cost of defending against mass drone attacks.

By Sabina Mammadli