Last year, the United States rejected a Ukrainian proposal to use its technology to intercept Iranian drones, despite the Ukrainian military's combat experience on the battlefield. Only now, amid a rapid increase in drone strikes launched by Iran, has Washington turned to Kiev for help after the strikes inflicted heavy casualties on US allies in the region.
Zelenski presents the interceptor drone to the British Prime Minister PHOTO: X
According to the publication Axios, as early as last August a Ukrainian delegation presented the administration led by Donald Trump with a detailed technology for intercepting Iranian Shahed drones. Officials in Kiev explained how these systems could effectively protect US troops and allied bases in the Middle East.
However, the proposal was not accepted. Later, some US officials admitted that the decision could turn out to be a serious mistake.
“Rejecting Ukraine's offer is considered one of the administration's biggest tactical errors,” two US officials told Axios.
Cheap but effective drones
According to Axios, Ukraine has developed low-cost interceptor drones as well as complex air defense systems capable of shooting down Iran's Shahed drones. These drones have already caused loss of life among the US military and considerable property damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally proposed to Trump the creation of “counter-drone centers” in Turkey, Jordan and the Persian Gulf states.
During the presentation, the Ukrainian side showed a map of the region, warned that Iran was upgrading drones for increasingly sophisticated attacks and suggested the creation of “drone walls”, complete with air defense systems, to protect US bases.
However, the US administration did not support the initiative at the time. Some officials say the skepticism was related to both the relationship with the Ukrainian leader and the way the proposal was presented.
Washington returns to Kyiv
The situation has changed only recently. According to The New York Times, the United States last week asked for Ukraine's support in countering Iranian drone attacks.
The spokeswoman of the White House, Anna Kelly, said that after this cooperation the intensity of the attacks decreased by about 90%, and the number of American soldiers killed turned out to be much lower than the initial estimates.
At the same time, demand for drone interception technologies remains extremely high in the United States. The Pentagon is looking into developing its own anti-drone platform, called Merops, and is evaluating other countermeasures, including using AH‑64 Apache attack helicopters or Britain's AW159 Wildcats, equipped with Martlet missiles.
An offer designed as a partnership
The authors of the article note that the Ukrainians tried to adapt the offer to Trump's negotiating style, inspired by his book The Art of the Deal.
“Knowing Trump's mindset, the Ukrainians framed the proposal as a business partnership, promising that the project could create jobs in the US defense industry,” reports Axios.
Experts estimate that an Iranian Shahed drone costs between $20,000 and $50,000, while interceptor drones developed by Ukraine are even cheaper but may be more effective in combat.
Aid already sent to the Middle East
On March 9, Ukraine responded to Washington's request and sent interceptor drones, as well as a group of unmanned systems experts, to help protect US military bases in Jordan.
