Ukraine is trying to introduce its drones to the market.News |Al Jazeera Network

Ukraine believes it is one of the world's best-known producers of interceptor drones and is therefore offering its expertise to Washington in hopes of obtaining advanced weapons it cannot produce locally.

Ukraine wants to market its anti-drone

As the US-Israeli war over Iran depletes the US missile stockpile, Ukraine hopes to market what it sees as a "wartime innovation" and use it as leverage: cheap interceptor drones to shoot down Iranian drones that Russia is using against it.

If cooperation with partners is successful, Ukraine could emerge as a new player in modern warfare, although it is not yet clear whether the industry can expand to the extent of achieving these ambitions or open up to global markets without compromising self-defense.

Al Jazeera correspondents reported on Saturday, citing security sources, that a team from Ukraine came to Washington to demonstrate a Ukrainian drone capable of shooting down Iranian drones.

In its report on these Ukrainian ambitions, the Associated Press notes that Ukraine is now one of the world's leading producers of interceptor drones, and is offering its expertise to the United States in hopes of obtaining advanced weapons it cannot produce domestically.

The agency reported that when Russia invaded Ukraine 4 years ago, Ukraine's domestic arms industry was weak.Ukraine has been forced to innovate to survive and has since built a booming defense industry focused on low-cost drones, some of which are specifically designed to counter Iran's Shahed drones, which Russia now sends by the hundreds.

When war broke out in Ukraine, Kiev banned arms exports, but now Ukrainian manufacturers of cheap interceptor drones say they are getting interest from the United States.

According to the authors of the report, the United States recently asked for "concrete support against the drones," prompting Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky to order the delivery of Ukrainian equipment and experts, which remain confidential.

While other countries may be building interceptor drones, Ukraine has its own combat-tested production system, says Oleg Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express.

Katkov adds, "There is a big difference between a mass-produced system that has been proven effective in real combat and a system that others are still promising to develop. It's like selling a house, not just the bricks."

The cost of the Iranian Shahad UAV is about $30,000, while the cost of one interceptor missile from the American Patriot air defense system reaches millions of dollars.

Production of American interceptor missiles is long underway, as Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it produced a record number of 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles for Patriot batteries each year through 2025.

To counter Shahed's jets, Kiev developed low-cost interceptor drones costing between $1,000 and $2,000 and took the systems from the prototype stage to mass production in a few months in 2025.But Ukraine has never developed a defense against ballistic missiles.

Therefore, delivering Patriot missiles to Kiev remains a life-or-death challenge.With this in mind, Zelensky proposes the idea of ​​a "compromise" to his partners.

He said: "Our message is very simple. We would like to acquire the missing Patriot missiles peacefully and in return we will give them an equal number of drone interceptors."

Despite Zelensky's optimism, there are obstacles to Ukrainian exports, and some analysts warn that entering the global arms market is more than just signing a deal.

"Arms trade is a very delicate and sensitive issue," said Yevhen Mehda, executive director of the Institute of World Policy in Kyiv.

He believes that the matter requires a difficult and deliberate diplomatic approach.Ukrainian officials have recently begun discussing a transition from a wartime arms export freeze to a government-controlled market, though it is unclear when that system will begin.

"We need more than just presidential statements," Mahda said. "We need action."He asked: "How can we talk about exports if we are not officially selling anything yet?"

The United States has made repeated requests to acquire interceptor drones produced locally in Ukraine, according to three Ukrainian arms manufacturers.

“We are ready and willing to share it,” said Marko Kushner, a spokesman for General Chery, a Ukrainian arms manufacturer that makes one of the most capable interceptor drones to attack the country's Shahed aircraft.

Kushner added that the decision will depend on the government and Zelensky, but the company wants to help the allies and can be ready to do it in days, and we can produce thousands of electronic defenses every month.

According to AP officials, “Ukraine currently has a surplus of anti-missile drones, and manufacturers say they can produce tens of thousands more without damaging the country’s defenses.

The biggest challenge, those involved say, is training crews and integrating these drones with radar systems that can detect targets at long distances.

Several Ukrainian companies have deployed effective systems on the battlefield. General Chery's "Bullet" interceptor drones, developed by the end of 2025, have shot down hundreds of Shahed drones, Kushner said.

The human experience continues to be fundamental. But while the legal framework surrounding the equipment remains ambiguous, Ukraine's most important asset remains human experience.

Zelensky has repeatedly repeated that his country is ready to send instructors who can learn how to use interceptor drones.Providing countries with drones will not be a problem, said Andrei Tagansky, director of the camera division of Odd Systems, which supplies cameras for interceptor drones of the Ukrainian company Wild Hornets.

But he stressed that training foreign personnel to operate the system and adopt the strategy was key.

Tagansky said that interceptor drones are not a stand-alone product, but must be integrated into a broader system of radars that can detect and track incoming targets.

Although some models are semi-automated, manufacturers say they still require workers to use them effectively.

"This is a tool that requires training and practical experience - not just on paper - available only in Ukraine," said Oleg Katkov.

Kiev's willingness to send its specialists abroad represents a major strategic sacrifice as it affects Ukraine's own air defense capabilities.With Russia's constant drone bombing, every soldier already trained is vital.

"We do not have many military personnel at the front, but it is clearly understood that the benefits of such cooperation outweigh the risks," Katkov said.