All articles tagged with #shahed 136
Ukraine uses its years of drone-defense experience to offer cheap interceptor drones and expertise to partners worldwide as Iranian Shahed drones appear across the Middle East and beyond, with Gulf states reporting thousands of incursions and Kyiv marketing its cost-effective defense solutions.
Cheap Shahed-136 drones, mass-produced for tens of thousands, are exposing gaps in NATO’s air defenses during a 2025 incursion. The attack strains expensive interceptor missiles and prompts a shift to layered, affordable countermeasures—drone-on-drone interceptors, electronic warfare, laser/energy options, and Ukraine-inspired tactics—to deter swarms without draining resources.
Russia has reportedly developed its own version of Iranian attack drones, known as Geran-2, and has been using them against Ukraine. The drones, similar to the Iranian Shahed-136, have been adapted to better suit Russian needs and are made with different materials. The Russian-made drones allow Russia to sustain its attack patterns and reliance on one-way drones. The findings raise questions about export control and counter-diversion measures, as Russia continues to find ways to acquire military supplies despite Western sanctions.
The US is sending anti-drone missiles to Ukraine as part of an experimental platform to help the country combat Iranian-built drones that have caused blackouts across the country. The package includes 10 mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems, which were tested in January to fight off Shahed-136 suicide drones. SAIC, which participated in the competition, is in the running to send ten of the weapons to Ukraine. The aid package also includes munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, anti-drone 30mm gun trucks, air-surveillance radars, and anti-aircraft ammunition.
Ukraine's military is using large-caliber machine guns to shoot down the slow-moving, low-flying Shahed drones operated by Russia in the ongoing conflict. The Shahed-131 and -136 drones are equipped with warheads that can shatter or explode as they approach their target. The drones are often simple to shoot down if Ukrainian forces can detect them in time. Russia likely launches the drones from two sites near the Ukrainian border, and they are sent into Ukraine from Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Bryansk regions.