Deep dive: Ukrainian interceptor anti-air drone concepts

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Necessity is the mother of inventIon.

The Ukrainian army is severely lacking in air defense systems and ammunition: Ukraine is already firing just one Patriot missile per air target instead of two, which is the standard practice in the world.

Since the full-scale invasion began, Russia has launched over 13,000 kamikaze drones like ‘Shahed’ and ‘Lancet', along with more than 10,000 missiles against Ukraine.

It is not uncommon for Ukrainian soldiers to spot Russian reconnaissance drones circling military objects for hours, but can’t shoot them down due to lack of ammunition. In July, a Russian ‘Orlan-10’ managed to penetrate the airspace over Myrhorod airfield, where it flew for hours, guiding Iskander missiles. 

Facing this threat, Ukraine began considering a fundamentally new way to protect its air. The solution was modified strike FPV-drones, which are manually operated to destroy the enemy’s ‘eyes’ in the sky.

The Ukrainian government has created an environment that has made the development and rapid scaling of this technology possible. The number of downed Russian drones is already in the hundreds, prompting worldwide militaries to take note.

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How Anti-Air FPV-drones emerged

The first FPV-drones were simple Chinese toy models rigged with homemade explosives, directed at enemy tanks. 

Over a year and a half of technological development, Ukrainian FPV-drones evolved beyond recognition. Manufacturers improved:

• the quality and security of communication;

• developed custom software; 

• auto-targeting systems; 

• increased payload capacity and speed; and 

• equipped drones with detonation initiation systems and specialized munitions.

This technological leap, combined with the experience of drone operators, laid the foundation for anti-air FPV-drones, which target aerial threats rather than ground targets.

According to Dmytro Kovalchuk, co-founder of ‘Warbirds,’ one of the companies producing anti-air FPV-drones, development began in mid-2023. But due to secrecy, the first videos of Russian 'Orlan' drones being shot down only surfaced in the summer of 2024.

Before mass production could begin, engineers had to solve several problems. To destroy an aerial target, you need to: 

1. Detect it in the air;

2. Spot it visually with a camera; 

3. Accelerate to catch up to it; and 

4. Detonate an explosive to disable or destroy the target.

According to Kovalchuk, the initial orientation problem was solved with powerful new radars. 

For example, the Israeli RADA displays both the enemy target and the interceptor drone on a tablet. The FPV operator's interface reminds of a video game, where they see the drone’s camera view and a mini-map showing its position in the sky.

Next, the target must be visually identified, requiring a good camera and stable communication. Only when the FPV-drone is within 100-150 meters of the enemy UAV does the hunt begin. 

The maximum speed of Russia's 'Orlan-10' is 150 kilometers per hour, so the FPV-interceptor must fly significantly faster to not only catch up but also maneuver around the target and strike its weak point: the wing or engine.

According to Kovalchuk, anti-air FPV-drones differ from regular ones in terms of higher speed, a better battery, and a special detonation system that allows the drone to deactivate its explosive payload and return to base if necessary.

The battery is more powerful because the drone needs to stay airborne for extended periods and frequently accelerate. 'Warbirds' interceptors fly 40% faster than regular combat FPV-drones.

However, technology alone is not enough. Skilled operators are essential for successful deployment. Training involved using Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs like the ‘Leleka-100.’

Today, the number of downed Russian UAVs is in the hundreds. Volunteer Serhii Sternenko reported 100 destroyed drones in just the first few weeks of fundraising for anti-air FPV-drones. Judging by the range of videos from the ‘Come Back Alive’ fund, this technology is used in almost all key areas.

VIDEO: Serhii Sternenko's footage of drone interceptions

Ukrainian anti-air drones have targeted not only all types of Russian reconnaissance UAVs but also attack drones like ‘Lancet’ and even helicopters.

Given proven effectiveness, further scaling and technological evolution are expected. For instance, Ukrainian anti-air drones will certainly become faster. The 'Wild Hornets' company managed to accelerate its drone to 325 km/h, double the speed of a regular FPV-drone.

Some Ukrainian interceptor drones are already equipped with night vision capabilities. In the future, there may be automatic targeting systems allowing drones to autonomously fly to enemy UAVs without operator input.

Similar drones with 'machine-learning vision' are already being mass-produced in Ukraine to destroy armored vehicles and infantry. To train drones to automatically shoot down airborne targets, neural networks must be trained on air objects, which will take some time.

Larger-scale projects are also in the works. 'The next step is to create a large UAV that can carry several FPV-drones, stay in the air for hours, move toward a target, and in the final kilometers, release an interceptor drone that will automatically target the enemy object,' Kovalchuk noted.

Manufacturers are now focused on adapting the technology to counter Shahed 131/136 kamikaze drones, which Russia has ramped up production of in recent months. 

“We will definitely shoot down Shaheds with drones, it will happen 100%, and we know how to do it,” said Ukrainian volunteer Serhii Sternenko.

Key Drivers of Technological Innovation:

In early 2023, the Ukrainian government decided not to concentrate the development and production of FPV-drones in large state enterprises, as Russia does. 

Instead, they allowed anyone capable of assembling reasonably high-quality drones to join state procurement.

To attract as many companies and talented engineers as possible, the government deregulator the sector to make drone manufacturing a potentially-profitable business.

First, import duties and taxes on drone components were eliminated. Second, manufacturers were allowed to factor in up to 25% profit in state contracts (previously, companies operated with 3-5% profit margins).

Third, the certification process for developments was shortened - from years to just a few months.

To further stimulate the market, the state created a new procurement entity by allocating an additional $1 billion to the State Service of Special Communications, which is closely tied to Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

Some of the funds were distributed directly to military units, allowing them to purchase drones without waiting for approval from the Ministry of Defense.

These steps allowed for the diversification of Ukraine’s risks. If the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Defense slows down procurement, technology will still reach the military through other channels.

The experiment proved successful. According to Mykhailo Fedorov, there are now over 500 drone manufacturers in Ukraine. This includes both large companies and small garage startups with just a few people.

Instead of centralizing efforts and gathering all developers under one roof, Ukraine spread resources across hundreds of different teams, who began competing and offering various ideas for solving similar problems.

Ukrainian volunteers have played a key role in scaling and popularizing this technology. Thanks to their close connections with the military, they are often the first to understand where investments are needed. It’s not uncommon for volunteers to place large orders with manufacturers even before government agencies have started preparing for procurement of the new technology.

Since 2014, charitable foundations have gained valuable experience and developed effective procurement principles. 

For example, ‘Come Back Alive’ always emphasizes that achieving results requires an ecosystem - not just anti-air drones, but also communication equipment, computer hardware, operator training, vehicles, and more. Military units receive support from the foundation ‘ready for battle,’ fully equipped with everything necessary.

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How will Russia respond?

Russia may be less flexible in terms of technology, but it can invest more money and successfully copy innovations. The first footage of a Ukrainian reconnaissance UAV ‘Furia’ being struck by a Russian FPV-drone has already surfaced. However, the hit did not cause an explosion.

Shortly after, the Ukrainian manufacturer released footage from the camera of the same ‘Furia.’ 

As it turned out, after the strike, the drone lost stability but continued moving forward.

It got lucky.

VIDEO of the pseudo-downing of Furia.

Of course, this is just one instance, and Russia will likely shoot down more drones with better precision in the future. This forces Ukrainian manufacturers to prepare countermeasures in advance to ensure that artillery isn't left without ‘eyes.’

Russians are also attempting to counter Ukrainian anti-air FPV-drones, although some of their efforts appear quite unsuccessful. For example, adding fake Ukrainian identification markings to Russian Zala drones, which have a distinctive shape.

Some Russian operators merely paint messages like 'Don't shoot, guys, I'm one of you,' which is equally ineffective.

It is too early to judge the results of Russia's efforts. It is likely that in the future, Russian reconnaissance drones will become faster, fly higher, and have rearview cameras, making interception more challenging for Ukrainian operators.

Recently, a leaked Russian project surfaced online that suggests plans to equip ‘Orlan’ and ‘Zala’ drones with electronic warfare systems. However, this concept raises more questions than answers.

Still, since there are no effective solutions against anti-air FPV drones, Ukraine has a real chance to gain an aerial advantage and temporarily 'blind' Russia’s recon efforts due to a novel innovative approach.

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