BLUF: Persian Gulf countries are facing massive Iranian missile and drone attacks, with Shaheds (range: 2,000 km) accounting for a large share: approximately 1,000 have been launched.
Ukraine knows how to best counter these: interceptor missiles, interceptor drones and aviation work together. Interceptor drones are increasingly effective: every third Shahed-type drone is destroyed by them in Ukraine.
After discussions with the UAE, Qatar and others, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian air defense experts will be sent to help. The Pentagon/Middle East countries are also in talks to buy Ukraine’s interceptor drones.
Not a quick fix: pilot training for other countries to implement interceptor drones into air defense can take about six months.
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Why Patriots aren’t enough to protect Gulf countries
Dmytro Chubenko of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office examines the carbon fiber remains of a Russian-made, Iran-designed Shahed-136 drone, known as a Geran-2 in Russia (Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images)
In recent days, as Iran attacked U.S. and British military bases and infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, the threat of Shaheds has reached Cyprus, more than 2,000 km from Iran.
This highlights the reach of long-range drones and the need for technologies that can shoot them down effectively and in sufficient quantities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to provide interceptor drones to Middle Eastern countries in exchange for Patriot missiles. This would address the air defense shortcomings of both sides.
“This is something to think about, because the threat is not going to go anywhere. Russia is building more than 50,000 of these kinds of drones annually. Iran’s capability to build has gone down. But I doubt that there will be a regime change. And when the fighting ends, they will rebuild their capability,” Pekka Toveri, member of European Parliament and retired Major General, told The Arsenal.
There’s also a possibility that Iran will try to spread this technology to North Korea or wherever it can create production, too, Toveri added.
Zelenskyy has also announced that Ukrainian air defense experts will be sent to the Middle East countries to help counter mass-drones attacks. The Pentagon and some Gulf countries are also now having discussions about buying Ukrainian interceptor drones.
“Sharing this experience and selling it gives us a very high level of geopolitical significance and puts us at the same table with major players who already need us very much today,” said Marko Kushnir, communications director at drone manufacturer General Cherry.
Even if Ukrainian interceptor drone technology is provided to Middle Eastern countries, however, it won’t be a quick fix: it takes considerable time to establish and make effective use of this technology.
It takes at least 40 hours of flight practice to teach a person to fly a conventional FPV drone.
An interceptor drone requires even more time, since it’s faster and requires an operator-navigator pair to work together. That means pilot training for other countries to implement into air defense can take about six months, Kit said.
Battlefield economics: Prolonged war disadvantages expenses defenses
Less than a week into the U.S. military’s Operation Epic Fury, Iran had already launched more than 1,000 Shaheds and hundreds of ballistic missiles at Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf countries.
Iran is copying tactics Russia has been using in Ukraine — attacks on energy, logistics, and civilian infrastructure. The Gulf countries defending against these attacks are using costly air defense solutions, potentially backing themselves into a corner by depleting limited stockpiles while Iran uses Shahed drones that come at a tiny fraction of the cost.
DEFENSE INDUSTRY TAKEAWAY: The world had focused on an American-led strategy of overwhelming technological superiority with expensive, intricate weapons. But the battlefield economics of the 21st Century make it cheaper than ever to project violence long distances. That means the counters and defenses need to be proportionately inexpensive if a long war is in the making.
Each Shahed costs about $50,000-70,000, while the Patriot systems used to counter them cost about $4 million per missile. Perhaps more important than the giant price tag, however, is the limited availability of both the Patriot systems and their interceptors.
“The Patriot missile launchers based in Qatar that were used against the onslaught from Iran fired the largest salvo ever in all the history of the United States... 11 batteries [of Patriot air defense systems]. That's extremely expensive,” Tobias Billström, head of strategy and governmental affairs at Nordic Air Defence, told The Arsenal.
The use of expensive anti-aircraft missiles against cheap weapons like Shahed drones risks running out of Patriot systems when you need them to defend against an even bigger threat: ballistic missiles.
Shooting down cheap drones thus requires cheap air defense weapons that are easy to replenish and capable of withstanding mass attacks. This means anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, or interceptor drones.
Interceptor drones, in particular, have already demonstrated their effectiveness in combat, along with potential for further technological development. In Ukraine, interceptor drones such as Sting by Wild Hornets, STRILA by Wiy Drones, ODIN Win_Hit by ODIN are some of the most popular ones.
If scarce missiles like Patriots are launched at targets such as Shaheds, this could drain countries' air defense systems and leave them vulnerable to ballistic missiles, said Kit, a volunteer with one of Ukraine’s air defense fire groups that asked to be identified only by his call sign.
How Ukraine fine-tuned its air defenses
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, these groups have been shooting down drones using MANPADS, heavy machine guns, and anti-aircraft guns. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult these days to hit targets accurately with these weapons, as static machine guns are often limited in their firing range.
The Patriot missile systems Ukraine finally got in late 2024 also proved to be less than ideal to fend off mass Shahed drone attacks, due to their limited availability and high costs.
Now Ukraine’s air defense system is more of a highly network-centric anti-drone surface-to-air missile system, where interceptor drones are increasingly used, said Kushnir.
The biggest obstacle to intercepting Shahed-type drones is their speed, according to Kit. Turbo engines reduce the window of time when they can be targeted. Shaheds now reach speeds of up to 360 km per hour, which creates problems even for interceptor drones.
Currently, the price of one interceptor drone is between $1,000 and $2,000 on average, and its speed can reach 300-350 km/h.
The Wiy Strila interceptor drone is one of the fastest in its class and can travel up to 350km/h.
Every third Russian drone is now destroyed with the help of interceptor drones.
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1. Russian innovation tracker: V2U drone equipped with a Chinese Mesh modem
The Russians have equipped their V2U strike drone with a Chinese mesh modem to increase its effectiveness.
Mesh modem technology on this type of drone is still in testing mode, with the Russians trying to connect as many types of drones as possible to this system. These drones first appeared in Ukraine last year. Their flight range has been recorded at up to 100 km deep into Ukrainian territory. Their main danger is guidance using AI, which automatically identifies targets in real time. Last fall, Russia tested their use in swarms to test the performance of its AI.
The modem operates in the 1600–1800 MHz range and allows the creation of a dynamic network with signal relay between drones, ensuring stable communication and real-time control.
V2U AI-powered drone. Photo from United24.
According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the V2U drone has a 1.2 m wingspan and can carry up to 3.5 kg. It can fly at up to 60 km/h for up to about an hour and uses AI for navigation and target selection. The modem modification in different types of Russian drones hinders the work of Ukraine’s air defense by forcing it to respond more quickly to targets.
The operator is always in contact with a drone and can use the camera to track the positions of air defense systems in real time and gain or lose altitude, or change targets, making the drone's flight unpredictable and urges air defense to react faster.
“The preparation time has changed: if we used to have 3-4 minutes, now it is about a minute/a minute and a half, and we have to be ready. On the one hand, this is convenient because you are already ready to work,” Oleksandr, an air defense serviceman, told The Arsenal. (for security reasons his last name is not provided)
We’ve covered Russia’s use of mesh modems in drones before. You can read it in detail here.
2. The Shablya combat module now has an AI assistant for repairs in the field
Ukrainian company Roboneers, together with startup NeoLens, has unveiled a digital AI assistant for remotely controlled Shablya combat modules, in particular Shablya Mk19(M) and Shablya M2. The system is designed to support crews and technical specialists in the field and provides quick access to technical information, instructions for setting up, operating, and repairing combat modules.
"The need for this solution arose due to the large number of requests from the military regarding the use and configuration of equipment. The AI assistant reduces support workload by giving users instant answers, without having to search through manuals or videos," Roboneers told The Arsenal.
The system works as an interactive knowledge base and contains verified data from official manufacturer documentation.
The tool currently works through a web interface and requires a network connection, but developers plan to expand its functionality, the company said.
3. Critical enterprises get wider authorities: greenlight to form own air defense units
The Cabinet of Ministers has expanded the law allowing critical and defense infrastructure enterprises to operate air defense units. This pilot project was first approved and started in November 2025, but the Cabinet has now broadened its scope.
From now on, any enterprise deemed critically important, regardless of its form of ownership, can establish its own air defense unit. These units will be required to undergo training and certification.
Air defense equipment will temporarily be issued by the Armed Forces under a simplified procedure in case ammunition is expended while repelling attacks, and the list of weapons each enterprise is permitted to use will be determined individually by the Ukrainian Air Force. Employees of companies that have been vetted by the Security Service of Ukraine can participate in this work.
“There must be a substantial incentive for people. This is proposed for individuals who have grounds for exemption from military service or who are officially reserved,” said the head of Wiy Drones, who asked to stay anonymous.
By: Oksana Zabolotna
Streamlining weapons codification
Order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine dated February 3, 2026
Why it’s important: This order puts into effect Ukraine’s integration into the NATO Codification System, making NATO Stock Number (NSN) and NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code (NCAGE) compliance a structural requirement for interoperability, procurement eligibility, and participation in allied supply chains.
By mandating codification across development, procurement, and operational stages, lifecycle management is strengthened, duplication is eliminated, logistics data is standardized, and transparency and traceability are enhanced in defense supply chains.
Proposals:
Defining the legal and organizational framework for the functioning of the supply item codification system in accordance with NATO standards; establishing that the result of codification is the assignment of a NATO Stock Number (NSN) to each item of supply.
Establishing the mandate of the Central Codification Authority of the Ministry of Defense to maintain the national Catalogue of Supply Items.
Introducing mandatory codification at all stages of the supply item life cycle — during development, procurement, and operation — including the incorporation of codification requirements into technical specifications and state contracts.
Establishing a duplication check mechanism within national and NATO catalogues and defining the rules for NSN assignment.
Requiring mandatory indication of the NSN in operational documentation and product marking, and establishing restrictions on the inclusion of information constituting state or commercial secrets in the catalogue.
Providing that during martial law, codification may be initiated based on a decision of the state customer.
Stage: Entered into force on February 3.
Initiator: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
What’s next: Implementation of the order.
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General Cherry, a Ukrainian defense-tech company producing FPV and interceptor drones, is looking to fill 30 vacancies, including UAV Pilot Instructor, SMM Manager, Recruiter, System Administrator, Support Manager, and Embedded Computer Vision Engineer.
TAF Industries, a leading military tech company developing and producing defense technologies, has opened 45 vacancies, mainly in Kyiv and Odesa, including Head of Marketing , FPV Pilot, Odoo Developer, International Lawyer.
3DTech, a company producing FPV drones, is hiring for positions including UAV (FPV) Test Operator, Recruiter, Production Manager (MilTech), and FPV Drone Maintenance and Configuration Engineer.
SKYETON, a leading Ukrainian manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has 16 vacancies, including Technical Writer, Manual QA Engineer (Middle) UAV, Talent Pool, and Key Account Manager.
RoverTech, a Ukrainian defense tech company that develops modern robotic systems and ground-based unmanned complexes, is seeking strategic joint ventures with European companies to develop and localize a shared product based on their Ukrainian combat-proven UGV platform.
The company offers partnership models including joint product development, licensing with local market players, product integration with partner technologies, co-product cooperation, and international manufacturing expansion. “We are currently focused on priority European countries and Japan, with additional interest in South Korea and Arab markets,” said Borys Drozhak, COO & co-founder of RoverTech.
Ukrainian company Roboneers has signed a trilateral memorandum of cooperation with Latvian companies SUBmerge Baltic and Baltic Forces to develop underwater and specialized systems and strengthen European defense cooperation. Roboneers also signed a memorandum of cooperation with NATRIX, a Latvian manufacturer of ground robots, though no details on that partnership have been disclosed yet.
Ukrainian defense companies have received 108 preferential loans totaling UAH 6.665 billion ($152 million). The funds are intended for the production and modernization of equipment and ammunition under the state program to support arms manufacturers implemented by the Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian manufacturer Odd Systems plans to build a factory to produce sensors for thermal imaging cameras for strike UAVs in order to reduce dependence on imports. The factory will triple sensor production in Europe and ensure Ukraine's technological sovereignty.
The Ukrainian drone manufacturer Vyriy has codified the Dzhankoy ground-based robotic complex and the Sokil reconnaissance drone. Sokil has already been successfully used in combat operations, while Dzhankoy is preparing for its first combat use.
The Ministry of Defense is introducing a guaranteed monthly minimum supply of FPV drones, reconnaissance UAVs, bombers, and other unmanned aerial vehicles to all units. There are also plans to scale up ground-based robotic systems and use new artificial intelligence solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukrainian defense company Global Mark has developed the BLITZ-2 double-fuselage drone for reconnaissance and strike missions with a maximum speed of up to 160 km/h. The design provides increased flight stability, efficient load distribution, and the ability to place a large payload between the fuselages.
