Ukraine Shifts Air Defense to SHORAD and F-16 Tactics as Russia Builds 6,000 Drones Monthly
Updated
Updated · Breaking Defense · Aug 6
Ukraine Shifts Air Defense to SHORAD and F-16 Tactics as Russia Builds 6,000 Drones Monthly
1 articles · Updated · Breaking Defense · Aug 6
Summary
Ukraine has reworked its air-defense playbook to blunt record Russian barrages more cheaply, leaning first on layered short-range systems and revised fighter tactics instead of expending scarce Patriot-class interceptors.
RUSI said Russian attacks now often open with hundreds of one-way and decoy drones, followed by dozens of cruise missiles; the New York Times reported 126 ballistic missiles were fired last month, a war high.
Dispersed SHORAD teams positioned in depth are now stopping most Geran drones, while F-16s and Mirage 2000-5s have destroyed well over 2,500 Geran and Gerbera drones using safer tactics, 20 mm cannon fire and AGR-20 rockets.
That adaptation also reflects looser command rules: Ukrainian pilots can now divert from planned missions to strike priority targets such as Russian radars or launchers without waiting for centralized approval.
The shift still has limits because Russia is producing more than 6,000 one-way attack drones a month, including faster jet-powered Shaheds that strain cheap counters and rack up unsustainable flying hours on Ukrainian F-16s.
As Russia launches thousands of cheap drones, can Ukraine's decentralized defense survive before its Western fighter jets burn through their flying hours?
Will giving fighter pilots the freedom to hunt targets without centralized approval revolutionize modern air warfare or risk catastrophic strategic errors?