Russia is increasingly deploying faster jet-powered drones against Ukrainian cities, prompting Ukraine and Western defence companies to develop a new generation of interceptor drones capable of catching them.
The latest threat is the Geran-5, a jet-powered drone that can reportedly reach speeds of up to 375 mph. It follows earlier variants including the Geran-3 and Geran-4, which can exceed 200 mph and reach about 310 mph respectively.
Russia’s Jet-Powered Drones Are Pushing Ukraine and the West to Develop Faster Interceptors
Ukraine’s interceptor drones initially targeted slower, propeller-powered Geran-2 drones, but manufacturers are now rapidly upgrading their systems. Ukrainian companies including Wild Hornets and SkyFall have already recorded successful interceptions of faster Russian drones.
The scale of the threat has also grown. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 2,800 jet-powered drones in August, compared with 350 in June, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine intercepted 55% of such drones in September.
Defence companies across Europe and the US are now pursuing faster systems. Lithuania’s Granta Autonomy, Czech firm LPP Holding and Germany’s Tytan Technologies are among those developing or upgrading counter-drone capabilities.
Britain is also considering jet-powered interceptors, while US defence firm Perseus Defense is developing a more powerful model specifically designed to counter jet-powered drones.
