Shaheda is a challenge for the USA. Air defense won't catch everyone

US administration officials admit that Iranian Shahed drones pose a greater threat than expected, CNN reported on Wednesday. It was emphasized that American air defense would not be able to intercept all of them.

Members of Donald Trump's administration told congressmen on Tuesday during a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill that Iran's Shaheds pose a major challenge, a source said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Ceine admitted that drones are a bigger problem than expected.

Another source claimed that administration officials tried to downplay drone concerns and pointed out that partner countries in the region had amassed a lot of interdiction assets.

As CNN noted, Shaheds fly slowly and low, making it easier for them to evade air defenses compared to ballistic missiles.

On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said his country could send drone specialists to the Middle East and share their capabilities and expertise to help shoot down Iran's Shaheds if Kiev's partners help bring about a ceasefire in the war with Russia.

Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine's effectiveness in neutralizing Iranian Shahed drones has reached 90 percent, partly thanks to the use of domestically produced interceptor drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday proposed that Kiev could provide interceptor drones in exchange for missiles for the Patriot system.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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