Raven Air Defense System Downs Four Drones in First Combat Engagement

One of the Ukrainian Raven air defense systems shot down four Russian reconnaissance drones in its first combat engagement.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command released a video of the incident.

Ukrainian defenders shared details about the use of this British air defense system and the types of aerial targets they destroyed with its help.

“In its first combat mission, the crew successfully destroyed four Orlan and Zala reconnaissance drones — all within just eight hours,” Oleksandr, the commander of the air defense missile platoon, reported.

He also noted that their system had shot down one Russian cruise missile.

According to Volodymyr, the operator-gunner of the Raven air defense system, launching missiles is quite straightforward. He explained that the system is controlled using a panel equipped with four switches and a “launch” button.

“When conducting combat operations, I select a missile and launch it; after that, the missile leaves the pylon and quickly reaches the target,” the serviceman said.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the Raven air defense systems from the United Kingdom are operational on multiple fronts.

Raven air defense system

The Raven systems first arrived in Ukraine in the spring of 2023, and as of May 2025, they have launched over 400 missiles at enemy aerial targets. Their overall effectiveness stands at 70%.

The system was developed based on an idea from the Royal Air Force’s Aviation and Space Forces Center in just four months. They proposed using the available Supercat HMT-600 platform to mount short-range ASRAAM air-to-air missiles.

In June, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom would supply Ukraine with 350 ASRAAM missiles to strengthen its air defense, funded by interest from frozen Russian assets.

The cost of these air-to-air missiles is £70 million. They were adapted for ground launch in a record short time—the conversion took only three months.