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This article has a little more https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/11/uk-to-produce-ukraine-designed-interceptor-drones-supply-thousands/ https://
by tim333 1y ago
This article has a little more https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/11/uk-to-produce-ukraine-designed-interceptor-drones-supply-thousands/ https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/11/uk-to-p...
> While Healey didn’t elaborate on the cost of the interceptor drone, the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the estimated cost of a Shahed at $35,000
The Shaheds are large petrol driven things with ~2000 km range and 20 kg warheads. The interceptors are probably battery powered with a fraction of the weight and range.
This kind of thing https://thedefender.media/en/2025/08/dyki-shershni-showcased-sting-315-km-god/ https://thedefender.media/en/2025/08/dyki-shershni-showcased...
>Sting interceptor hits 315 km/h, shoots down over 200 Shaheds and Gerberas
>Sting costs about $2,500
Not sure what design the UK will make.
- tguvot 1y agothere are jet powered shaheds with speeds around 600km/h
- tim333 1y agoI think Ukraine is working on jet powered interceptors for those. (https://youtu.be/cmQpycW0Y2s?t=170 https://youtu.be/cmQpycW0Y2s?t=170)
- tguvot 1y agointerceptors equipped by shotguns. i see shaheds in this case equipped with ultrasonic sensors to detect anything in range that will trigger "evasive maneuvers".
- tim333 1y agoThe main virtue of the shaheds is they are fairly cheap and simple so the Russians can send hundreds. If you try making them capable of evasive maneuvers and the like you lose some of that. The Mangust design is quite interesting >steered by the pilot until, at around 200 meters (650 feet), its auto-guidance system takes over and autonomously completes the interception. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57595 https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57595 Still seems to be a prototype though - not sure they've hit any shaheds.
- tguvot 1y agothey are 35k-50k a piece. they have advanced anti jamming capabilities (when ukrainians managed to bring one down in "one piece", they take out this part and reuse it in their drones). upgraded models have nvidia jetson that used for optical targeting. adding a few ultrasonic sensors, wires and writing extra 1000 lines of code not going to change BoM much
- lolc 1y agoWow and Stings are reusable! I thought they would be single use. Being able to recharge them changes logistics a lot. You can have very mobile teams for defense in depth to decimate swarm attacks.
- tim333 1y agoI'm not sure the Stings are reusable but the Mangusts are.