Fix for Ukraine’s interceptors is radar seeker head, and American firm is selling one for $4,000, says president’s tech adviser

Ukraine's drone interceptors face challenges when weather conditions deteriorate. Presidential advisor Serhii Beskrestnov noted that fog and cloud cover in fall, winter, and spring can limit an interceptor pilot's visibility to less than a dozen meters. Success rates plummet once winter sets in, especially over the sea. Cheap interceptors have become Ukraine's primary defense against Iranian Shahed drones, but the common flaw among these systems is reliance on a pilot or camera to detect the target.

Both Ukrainian and foreign teams are working on a solution, with the focus on an onboard radar seeker head. The concept started simply, with a pilot guiding the interceptor to the target visually, engaging it, and attacking. Russia countered with Shaheds equipped with onboard electronic warfare, evasion systems, maneuvers, and rear-facing cameras.

Ukraine developed machine-vision target capture and guidance, yet weather issues persist for both conventional and jet interceptors. Beskrestnov argued that an autonomous seeker head, acoustic, thermal, or radar-mounted on the interceptor itself is the optimal solution. A radar seeker, in particular, could enable a fully autonomous system with no human in the loop, allowing the network to spot the target, launch the nearest interceptor guided by tactical radar, and the seeker locking onto the target for a kill.

However, constructing such a compact radar has proven challenging, and while Ukrainian teams are working on it, detailed information is scarce. American firm Archimedes announced a 24 gigahertz radar with a 25-by-14-degree field of view and a one-kilometer lock-on range, priced at approximately $4,000 per unit, mounted on some Ukrainian interceptors.

While its effectiveness remains to be seen given the complexity of the problem, the potential benefits cannot be overlooked.