The US and Qatar are negotiating the possible purchase of Ukrainian interceptor drones designed to destroy Shahed-type strike UAVs, amid growing interest among allies in cheaper air defense systems, Reuters reports.
According to the agency, the talks concern, in particular, SkyFall’s P1-SUN interceptor. A company representative told Reuters that deliveries are only possible with the “green light” from the Ukrainian government and on condition that the export does not reduce Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.
Reuters notes that SkyFall’s production capacity allows it to produce up to 50,000 interceptors per month, and potential exports without harming Ukraine’s needs are estimated at 5,000-10,000 units.
The effectiveness of this class of air defense systems is confirmed by Ukrainian statistics: according to the Ukrainian military, in February, 70% of drones shot down in and around Kyiv were destroyed by interceptor drones.
The cost of interceptors is significantly lower than traditional air defense systems. Reuters reports that SkyFall sells the P1-SUN to the Ukrainian military for approximately $1,000 (depending on the configuration), while PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system can cost up to $4 million per unit.
