Wolf 25 AD Air Defense System Already Deployed in Ukraine

Slovak company DefTech announced that the Wolf 25 AD system has been adopted into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has been deployed.

Defence24 reported on this.

The system underwent combat testing before deliveries began.

Initial assessments by the Ukrainian military were positive, and the company expected to receive an order for the system soon.

The Wolf 25 AD will become another air defense system or tool for countering very short-range drones chosen by Ukraine.

In early August, DefTech published new photos of the system and confirmed it had successfully passed tests in Ukraine and been adopted by the Ukrainian army.

The number of units sold has not been disclosed. The company noted interest from other export customers without naming them, and the Slovak army may also consider purchasing the system in the future.

Wolf 25 AD

The system is equipped with a turret from the Slovenian company Valhalla Turrets.

It features an Oerlikon KBA 25×137 mm automatic cannon, capable of using two types of ammunition and multiple firing modes — from single shots to bursts at up to 650 rounds per minute.

For engaging air targets, Proximity Fuze (PX-HE) ammunition is available, detonating within roughly 1.5 meters of the target.

Alternatively, the cannon can fire high-explosive fragmentation incendiary (HEI-T) rounds, semi-armor-piercing high-explosive (SAPHE), fragmentation-armor-piercing sub-caliber (FAPDS-T) shells, or armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber rounds, depending on the mission.

Armor-piercing ammunition is particularly important: sub-caliber shells have high initial velocity and a flat trajectory, critical when engaging distant, fast-moving targets. Fragmentation rounds sometimes fail to inflict sufficient damage, whereas armor-piercing rounds produce through-penetrating effects.

The 25×137 mm caliber was chosen deliberately: it offers effectiveness close to that of the larger 30×173 mm round while being lighter, cheaper, and allowing for greater ammunition storage. It is also widely available, with multiple manufacturers and higher production volumes.

The turret includes a Lotus Lite electro-optical system with thermal and daylight cameras. The core of the system, however, is the AESA AMMR radar with software-defined functionality, capable of simultaneously tracking up to 150 targets in real time. Detection ranges include:

• Fighter jets — up to 20 km
• Helicopters — up to 12 km
• Missiles — up to 10 km
• Lancet drones — 8–10 km
• Reconnaissance drones — up to 5 km
• Microdrones (FPV or commercial quadcopters) — up to 5 km

These radars are also used in the Skynex, Skyranger 35, and Skyranger 30 systems. The Wolf 25 AD is equipped with four radar panels providing 360-degree coverage. The AMMR radar can also calculate the coordinates of enemy artillery, mortar, and missile impacts.

The radars feature advanced ECCM to counter electronic warfare, allowing the Wolf 25 AD to operate in areas with intensive electronic activity. They can track moving targets, enabling the system to provide air cover for advancing equipment columns.