Ukraine Gets ‘Drone Wall’ to Fight Russian Threats: Arms Maker

A new, first-of-its-kind “drone wall” built to defeat Russia’s most menacing weapons before they can reach cities and civilians is set to be deployed in Ukraine soon, its maker told Business Insider.

Comprised of dozens of small drones, the wall is designed to intercept an incoming munition by blowing them out of the sky, “like a flying drone minefield,” said the founder of Atreyd, the Western company that developed the system.

Atreyd has already shipped the system to Ukraine, and it expects it to be operational within a few weeks, explained the founder, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive developments.

The drone wall’s deployment will mark the first known instance of a defense of this type becoming operational in any conflict, giving Ukraine a new layer of protection against the worsening Russian air attacks.

The system will first be used to defend cities and critical infrastructure from Russia’s one-way attack drones, but it could later be deployed closer to the front lines to protect against highly destructive glide bombs, which are notoriously difficult to intercept.

A defensive curtain

Russian one-way attack drones and glide bombs have been two of the most challenging threats Ukraine is facing. These weapons are cheap, can be mass-produced, strain defenses, and can be highly destructive.

One-way attack drones — specifically, the Russian Shahed-style loitering munitions — are employed in nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. Sometimes, hundreds are included in a single bombardment, which can overwhelm air defenses.

And glide bombs are dumb bombs equipped with special kits that turn them into precision-guided munitions able to be launched from aircraft at standoff ranges beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defenses. With small radar signatures, short flight times, and non-ballistic trajectories, these weapons are difficult to intercept.

NATO, which has closely monitored Russian threats, hosted an “Innovation Challenge” in March for Ukrainian and Western defense companies to submit solutions for combating this kind of weaponry. Atreyd, with its drone wall concept, emerged as a finalist.

The wall is made up of a collection of first-person-view drones that take off from designated launch platforms after radars detect a potential threat. The battery-powered drones, each carrying small explosive payloads, can then be layered and spaced apart.

Once airborne, these drones form something like a curtain in the sky; it’s designed to blunt air attacks by having the drone components detonate near incoming munitions to neutralize the threat and send debris plummeting to the earth below.

“We consider ourselves as a last layer of defense,” Atreyd’s founder said.

The system relies on artificial intelligence to change the structure of the wall to best respond to the detected trajectory of an incoming munition. The system is designed to be cheap; the cost of interception is just a few thousand dollars, and the drones that don’t detonate can return to their launch platforms to be used in a later air defense mission.

Atreyd said that the drone wall can operate in GPS-denied environments because it is equipped with a pre-installed 3D map of its area of responsibility, a notable feature given the widespread use of electronic warfare and signal jamming on the battlefields in Ukraine.

The drones can operate at altitudes of several thousand meters and are equipped with identification technology to prevent friendly fire incidents. And while the system is able to function fully autonomously, a human can still override the system and work a kill switch.

Atreyd said one soldier can typically operate 100 drones, and they don’t need any specific qualifications, either, nor do they need to be an established drone pilot. They will only be trained on how to operate the system and activate the kill switch if necessary.

The drone wall has a 100% success rating in testing, Atreyd said. But its deployment to Ukraine will be the first time that the system faces actual combat conditions.

In Ukraine, the drone wall could be used to defend its cities, energy infrastructure, and other civilian areas that are regularly under fire from devastating Russian attacks.

Atreyd’s founder would not disclose exactly where, in Ukraine, the drone wall will be deployed, citing operational security concerns. However, they said it will be permanently stationed there and can expand to other locations in the country with domestically manufactured drones.

While Atreyd is developing ambitious launch platforms — such as uncrewed vehicles, flying motherships, and even a zeppelin — for foreign militaries, the drone wall that is being deployed to Ukraine will take off from ground stations for now.

The drone wall’s deployment comes as Russia has modified its drones and glide bombs with jet engines, enabling the weapons to travel faster and creating new headaches for Ukrainian air defenses. Atreyd’s founder is confident that the system will still be effective against them.

Atreyd already has a contract with at least one NATO member that has put in an order for a launch platform and drones. So far, the company has organized production lines in France and Ukraine, and it expects to expand these efforts soon to the US.

NATO needs to be ready to face new developments in weaponry, the founder stressed. If the alliance is caught unprepared, “we are going to lose big.”