Ukraine is ramping up its use of helicopters as part of its air defense network, after frontline units proved their effectiveness in intercepting Russian long-range drones, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
As Militarnyi reported, Syrskyi highlighted that helicopter crews have become a critical element of Ukraine’s layered air defense strategy, often outperforming expectations in drone interception missions.
“Depending on the weather, our helicopters sometimes shoot down up to 40% of drones in their sectors,” Syrskyi said. “That is why we are scaling up this direction as well.”
The number of combat helicopters assigned to air defense tasks will continue to grow. Syrskyi explained that these aircraft will undergo necessary modernization and receive new equipment tailored for the mission.
“These helicopters need to be equipped with special systems that allow them to detect the enemy — day or night, in various weather conditions, and in thermal and infrared modes,” he said.
The military command is also examining options to integrate light aircraft into interception operations. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine is exploring ways to modify sport and training planes with machine guns to target unmanned aerial threats. In parallel, the country is assessing the possibility of purchasing specialized light combat aircraft designed specifically for drone interception.
The helicopter tactic, first reported earlier this year, involves pairing two aircraft with complementary roles. One is armed to engage the incoming drone directly, while the other carries advanced sensors — including the Teledyne FLIR multi-sensor system — to detect, track, and guide the strike aircraft to its target.
This coordinated approach allows Ukrainian forces to neutralize drones carrying warheads of up to 90 kilograms — payloads powerful enough to destroy apartment buildings — before they reach populated areas.
The use of helicopters against drones addresses one of Kyiv’s key strategic challenges: the shortage of ground-based air defense systems and missiles. Shooting down drones with helicopters reduces reliance on expensive surface-to-air missiles, which can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per shot and remain in critically short supply.
By scaling up rotary-wing air defense operations and integrating additional light aviation capabilities, Ukraine is working to counter Russia’s expanding use of long-range drones more effectively — and to preserve its missile stockpiles for higher-end threats.