Ukraine has built its own jet-powered drone interceptor — and it'll easily fit in the back of a pickup truck
- Ukraine has deployed a turbojet interceptor specifically designed to hunt Russian attack drones
- The compact aircraft can return home when an interception attempt fails
- Multiple warhead options allow the interceptor to tackle different aerial targets
Ukraine's defense ministry has confirmed a new turbojet-powered aircraft built to shoot down Russian attack drones has now entered military service.
Dubbed Alexa Spatium, the compact v-tail craft was engineered domestically to intercept small aerial and surface threats across the battlefield.
It was built chiefly to engage Russia's Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 kamikaze drones, together with the frequently deployed Shahed-131 loitering munition.
Built for speed and reuse
The aircraft measures 1.5 by 1.7 meters and is fired from a portable catapult stationed close to the front line.
If it fails to strike anything on a given mission, the interceptor is designed to fly back toward its own launch point.
It can be fitted with thermobaric,...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to techradar.com. To see the full text click HERE