The European arms manufacturer Thales Belgium has developed and supplied Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles equipped with air-launched warheads. The missile has a maximum range of 3 kilometers and is designed to combat Shahed-type attack drones.
The new 70 mm Thales FZ123 warhead is equipped with thousands of small steel balls that scatter within a 25-meter radius when half a kilogram of explosive is detonated. The cloud of debris generated by the explosion can destroy drones. Thales Belgium will produce about 3,500 missiles by the end of 2025 and will increase its annual capacity to 10,000 next year. Such weapons are much cheaper than traditional anti-aircraft missiles. The anti-drone warhead can also be mounted on an unguided version of the 70mm missile, which can now be produced in the amount of 30,000 pieces per year, and in the future – up to 60,000.
The manufacturer does not disclose the cost of missiles with the FZ123 warhead and the scope of deliveries. All that is known is that they are compatible with standard 70mm NATO launchers, including the Vampire system, and can be launched from modernized Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters.
According to Thomas Colinet, Director of Vehicles and Tactical Systems at Thales Belgium, the new weapons have already been deployed in Ukraine. He noted that the requests from Kyiv exceed the company’s existing production capabilities, which indicates the high efficiency of these missiles.
And the Swedish defense company NAD has introduced the Kreuger 100, a compact, electrically powered interceptor that uses kinetic impact rather than explosives to destroy drones. Each interceptor costs about $5,000 and has a range of more than 3 kilometers.
