Yuri Kobzar21:19, 20.10.24

The Sting drone is a cheaper alternative to anti-aircraft missiles, and is cheaper than the Shaheds themselves.

Ukraine has been developing a drone capable of intercepting Russian kamikaze drones of Iranian design Shahed-136 for a long time . The British newspaper The Telegraph has learned the first details about what the Ukrainian drone interceptor will be like.

It is noted that this will be a controlled drone with a first-person view (FPV), called Sting. It should become a cheaper replacement for anti-aircraft missiles, which sometimes have to be used to intercept the Shaheds.

The Telegraph also publishes for the first time a photograph of a new drone developed by Ukrainian group Wild Hornets, which is said to be capable of flying at speeds of over 100mph and at altitudes of around 10,000ft.

“The Sting is a classic quadcopter design with a large dome jutting up from its centre where the warhead and camera are mounted. It will be piloted from the ground using VR goggles that allow the operator to see exactly where it is flying. A future development will have an AI-powered targeting system that will allow the pilot to home in on enemy targets,” The Telegraph writes.

Although the Defense Forces have been successfully destroying Russian Zala and Orlan reconnaissance drones with small FPV drones for some time, the Sting will be the first drone specifically designed to combat the Shahed-136. The Russians launch between 30 and 80 of these kamikaze drones daily, and this has become a problem for Ukrainian air defenses.

According to a Wild Hornets spokesman, the average cost of a Sting interceptor drone is “tens of times lower” than that of a Shahed drone. This will save on scarce anti-aircraft missiles.

(c)UNIAN 2024