Ukraine’s best answer to Russia’s jet Shaheds is its own jet Shahed, turned around to hunt them
It’s called Bars, and Zelensky says it has the best hit rate of any Ukrainian interceptor against the jet drones, about 30%, but the small jet engines it needs may be in short supply.
Ukraine's answer to Russia's fast jet drones, the Geran-4 and Geran-5, lies in its own modified jet-propelled interceptor drone called Bars. These drones have shown promise, with a 30% hit rate according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, the speed of the Russian drones presents a significant challenge, making it difficult for the Ukrainian defenses to keep up.
The Bars drone, initially designed as a one-way attack drone, has been adapted into an air-to-air interceptor. Its speed, fueled by a small jet engine, allows it to chase down and potentially destroy faster Russian drones. The Ukrainians are working on increasing the drone's speed by reducing its weight, which could improve its efficiency in intercepting the Geran-5.
Despite the cost of the Geran-5 drones at around $100,000, Ukraine continues to produce over 2,000 Bars drones monthly. The primary constraint is the availability of small jet engines, which are crucial for the performance of the Bars drones.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
