In Europe, an anti-drone missile with an air-burst warhead has been created, which is already helping the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroy Russian "Shaheeds" and similar drones. This is a new product presented by the Thales company.
Points of attention
- Thales Belgium is ramping up production to meet Ukraine's increasing demand for the missiles, with plans to produce 10,000 units annually by 2026.
- The successful deployment of these anti-drone missiles reflects the satisfaction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the technology's performance in protecting the country.
Anti-drone missiles are already protecting Ukraine
As journalists managed to find out, the manufacturer installs an air burst warhead on 70-mm missiles.
The new FZ123 warhead is filled with thousands of tiny steel pellets that accelerate when a kilogram of explosive is detonated. This creates a "cloud" of debris about 25 meters in diameter that can destroy or damage a drone.
In addition, it is noted that this missile is capable of covering a distance of up to 3,000 meters.
A statement on this occasion was made by Thomas Colline, Director of Vehicles and Tactical Systems at Thales Belgium.
According to him, the missiles have already been sent to Ukraine, and the demand from the Armed Forces of Ukraine exceeds what the company can produce.
"The good thing for us is that if they ask for more, it means they are satisfied with it," Thomas Coline emphasized.
However, he does not want to disclose how many warheads were provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As journalists learned, Thales Belgium plans to produce about 3,500 such missiles by the end of the year and increase annual capacity to 10,000 in 2026.
