Speed of Up to 600 km/h: WIY Drones Develops New SPYS Interceptor

Ukrainian company WIY Drones has developed the SPYS interceptor drone, which can engage targets flying at speeds of up to 600 km/h.

The new drone was presented at the demo day of the public association Tech Force in UA titled “Designed for Tomorrow: Ukrainian Defence Technology in Action.”

A company representative told Militarnyi that the main target for SPYS interceptors is Shahed drones.

To enable the interceptor to reach such speeds, WIY Drones developed its own electronic components. This allows the drone to operate under extreme load conditions.

The SPYS drone uses Ukrainian-made motors from Motor-G, which were developed according to WIY Drones’ technical specifications.

“This is a major advantage for Ukraine — we have developed this industry to such a scale that we now produce both motors and electronics ourselves,” the company representative shared in a comment to Militarnyi.

He added that achieving similar speed and stability with Chinese components would be much more difficult and would require significantly more time.

The SPYS interceptor has a 300-gram warhead, can engage targets at a distance of up to 12 km and has a flight time of five minutes.

The first 50 drones will be transferred to units for testing. This will allow the company to collect statistics and make necessary changes to the product. Only after that will it proceed to the codification stage for the interceptor.

The first drones received by the military will be equipped with a guidance system that allows them to intercept targets on an oncoming course. A similar autonomous interception system is already used on STRILA drones.

“We have been working on this algorithm for a long time. It works stably when [the drone] catches up with Shaheds, and now we are working on a system for oncoming interception. When the Shahed is already diving toward the target, you release the interceptor drone, and in such a scenario it is guided toward it. We are continuing to work on the algorithm and improve this technology,” the company representative added.

Hand-Launch

The SPYS can be used in two configurations: either with the already known ground launch method or from any platform that can serve as an interceptor carrier, such as a helicopter, aircraft or carrier drone, or with a special hand-launch mechanism.

A prototype of the future system was presented at the Tech Force in UA demo day. The launch mechanism itself is still under development.

“This is a mock-up. Both the hand-launch mechanism itself and the electronics that will launch the drone will be developed,” the manufacturer’s representative emphasized.

The company believes that in this configuration the drone can be used to protect infrastructure or other important facilities. Operators could include police officers, representatives of various services, mobile fire groups or private companies that currently provide air defense services.

The system is equipped with a monitor that allows the operator to see when the interceptor has captured the target. After that, the operator presses the trigger and the drone flies toward the target.

WIY Drones also presented an updated version of the interceptor — STRILA 2 LR. Details about the changes to this drone are available in our video.

The Tech Force in UA demo day, “Designed for the Future: Ukrainian Defense Technologies in Action,” was held with the support of manufacturing companies Quantum Systems, General Cherry, Helsing, Airlogix, Sine Engineering and F Drones, with Militarnyi as an information partner, technical communications support from HIMERA, and organizational support from Dronarium Academy.

Reference:

Tech Force in UA (TFUA) is a Ukrainian defense technology association that includes about 90 manufacturers of defense technologies and components — approximately 10% of Ukraine’s defense industry. TFUA members develop and manufacture a wide range of solutions, from reconnaissance and strike UAVs, ground robotic systems, electronic warfare and electronic intelligence equipment to critical components for these technologies. TFUA works to accelerate the implementation of innovative technologies, localize military developments and integrate the Ukrainian defense market into the global economy.