A senior Ukrainian official has called for a re-evaluation of Western anti-aircraft systems supplied to Ukraine, saying simpler and cheaper weapons could be more cost-effective to counter Iran-made Russian Shahed drones, according to Sky News.
A Ukrainian military man trains on a Cheetah in the Kiev regionPhoto: Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP / Profimedia
Mihailo Podoliak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said it was not just about securing more anti-aircraft weapons systems “but, first of all, about solving a mathematical problem that is in the economics of war.”
While Western systems like NASAMS and Iris-T have been used to shoot down missiles, he said, using them to intercept Shahed drones may not be cost-effective, Podoliak wrote in English on X , formerly Twitter.
“Thus, it leads to the depletion of allied stocks and long-term weakening,” the Ukrainian official wrote.
“The solution is obvious: in addition to large-caliber mobile machine guns, there are plenty of simpler and cheaper anti-aircraft systems available today that have proven effective against the Shahed. These include Gepard and Vampire,” explained Podoliak.
The Gepard is a German-made, autonomous, armored self-propelled anti-aircraft system, while the US-made Vampire anti-drone system consists of a laser-guided missile launcher that can be installed on the platform of a truck.
