- Interceptor drones have emerged as a top air defense tool for Ukraine in its battle against Russian threats.
- The machine guns long used to shoot down drones are still in play though.
- Interceptor drones are popular but still in limited supply, and they aren't always the ideal choice.
Ukrainian forces are still using decades-old machine guns and small arms to defend against Russian air attacks, even as cheap interceptor drones surge in popularity.
Interceptor drones, which are armed with small warheads and fly directly into their targets or explode nearby to destroy them midair, have become a crucial tool for Ukraine as it struggles to defend against worsening Russian bombardments.
However, Ukraine still doesn't have enough of these drones, and they aren't always the best tool for every intercept, making guns a practical fallback, Ukrainian soldiers and an official familiar with the security situation told Business Insider.
Oleksiy, the deputy commander of a Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces mobile air defense unit who could only be identified by his first name for security reasons, said his troops are training to use new interceptor drones to strengthen their arsenal.
Oleksiy's unit, tasked with protecting Irpin, a city on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, has historically used the .50 caliber M2 Browning machine gun mounted on the bed of a pickup truck to battle the Russian one-way attack drones that are regularly launched at Ukraine.
Earlier this year, though, Russia started modifying its drones to fly faster and at higher altitudes, beyond the range of the Browning, a popular US-made heavy weapon designed around the end of World War I.
Oleksiy said his unit is still using the Browning, but it hasn't scored any hits recently because the Russian drones are beyond its capabilities. He said that other Ukrainian air defenders also rely on the machine gun, which has decades of combat experience.
Oleksiy argued that guns will likely continue to have a role in air defense. Ultimately, soldiers will decide which weapon best suits their needs in the moment.
"Defense forces always use all available means of deterrence, and a machine gun is currently one of the cheapest means if there are enemy air targets in its range," he said.
A special operator in Ukraine's 4th Ranger Regiment, who previously worked with the Browning in an air defense sub-unit, said the gun is a reliable weapon troops can master in just a few days.
Russian drones don't always maintain a consistent altitude in flight; sometimes they fly closer to the ground, where they become vulnerable to the Browning, said Drago, who could only be identified by his call sign for security reasons.
Officials, however, would like to see a shift toward the newer capabilities. Yehor Cherniev, the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on national security, defense, and intelligence, told Business Insider that air defenders still largely use "outdated weapons," including guns, to battle Russian drones.
Cherniev said Ukraine is replacing these weapons with interceptor drones at a rapid pace, describing them as "far more effective."
He said that "due to a lack of funding and limited assistance from our partners, we have not yet been able to implement the use of interceptor drones everywhere and on the necessary scale." Limits on these capabilities leave crews dependent on older options that are useful but not always well-suited for the threat.
Interceptor drones emerged earlier this year as a top defense priority for Ukraine because these systems are inexpensive and can be manufactured in large quantities. They are among the latest battlefield innovations and crucial technology as Kyiv faces growing Russian investment in its long-range drone operations and ever-expanding nightly attacks.
Some Ukrainian interceptor drones are worth as little as $2,500; by comparison, Russia's one-way attack drones are estimated to cost $35,000 on the low end. Officials stress that it's crucial to be on the right end of the cost curve.
Ukraine's defense industry is now producing hundreds of interceptor drones daily, and the military frequently shares footage showing them downing Russian attack and reconnaissance drones.
Western military officials and Ukrainian organizations have said that interceptor drones are responsible for taking down thousands of Russian drones in combat.
Meanwhile, NATO is taking note of the success of interceptor drones in Ukraine. Some allies have purchased and are deploying their own systems, recognizing the value as a low-cost air defense solution that doesn't necessarily require extensive training.
Oleksiy's unit began training on the new interceptor drones earlier in the fall, and they expect to wrap up soon. While he acknowledged that there is a bit of a learning curve, he said that it "doesn't scare us."
