Ukrainian Company Tests Air-Launched Drone Interceptors

Ukrainian company MaXon, a participant in the Brave1 defense technology cluster, has developed an air-to-air defense system equipped with high-speed interceptors.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said the system uses its own guidance technology and is designed to protect large perimeters.

It is already undergoing combat testing in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.

A video published by Fedorov shows the system using interceptor drones launched from an airborne carrier.

Targets are detected and tracked with an optical station equipped with a thermal imaging channel.

With support from Brave1, MaXon completed its first investment round, securing funding from Freedom Fund and Defender Ventures. The company is raising additional capital to speed up research, development and production.

“MaXon technology integrates solutions from other Brave1 participants. This is how the cluster ecosystem works — companies creating effective solutions in different areas can combine them,” Fedorov said.

Using a “drone-mother” to deploy FPV interceptors overcomes the short operating range of quadcopter-type interceptor drones. The carrier drone can remain on station while waiting for targets, allowing for faster interception since the drones are already airborne and at speed.

In June, Ukrainian company Justifier Drones demonstrated its own FPV interceptor launched from a carrier drone to extend interception range and altitude. That system has not yet entered testing, and no technical details have been made public.

The composition of Justifier’s system is also unknown. The test video did not show radar or an optical station for independent target detection and guidance.