Persian Gulf countries negotiate with Ukraine on deployment of Sky Fortress anti-drone system
7 March 20:14
Kyiv is negotiating with the US and several Persian Gulf states to deploy a counterpart to Ukraine’s Sky Fortress acoustic airspace monitoring system in the region to detect and intercept Iranian drones.
According to Ukrainian officials, representatives of companies involved in unmanned aerial vehicles, and one person involved in the negotiations, as reported by the Financial Times, discussions are taking place at the government and private levels, as well as between the military, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“The Americans have made very specific demands [of Ukraine] — so, based on their requests, we will provide what is needed,” said a source familiar with the discussions.
Sky Fortress was developed in 2022 by two Ukrainian engineers who used a microphone and a mobile phone installed on a pole to track Russian drones. Since then, the development has grown into a nationwide network of more than 10,000 acoustic sensors that detect UAVs and quickly transmit their location to the military so they can shoot them down. According to people familiar with the technology, the system has proven particularly effective against low-flying Shahed drones, which are capable of evading conventional radar.
Previously, FT sources reported that Washington was in talks to purchase interceptor drones from Ukraine to shoot down Iranian drones during the war in the Middle East. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote that he had “instructed [the interested parties] to provide the necessary resources and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists to provide the necessary security.” According to negotiators, systematic high-level trilateral discussions have since expanded to include other military innovations.
The Ukrainian company SkyFall, which manufactures P1-Sun interceptor drones, said that several Middle Eastern countries have approached it for assistance. According to the manufacturer, over the past three months, P1-Sun drones have destroyed more than 1,500 Shaheds and 1,000 other Russian drones. The cost of one interceptor is about $1,000, making them a cost-effective solution for air defense. Another drone manufacturer, General Cherry, also reported interest in its products from Arab countries.
At the same time, Politico sources reported that the US and Ukraine are negotiating the supply of Ukrainian interceptors so that Washington can more effectively defend its military bases in the Persian Gulf, as well as to strengthen the air defense of Arab countries, which spend large sums of money on destroying cheap Iranian drones with expensive missiles.
