- Category
- Latest news
Europe Unveils Shahed-Style Attack Drone Inspired by Ukraine War to Overwhelm Enemy Defenses
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
European missile manufacturer MBDA has unveiled a new long-range attack drone designed for mass production and battlefield saturation, drawing on lessons learned from Russia’s use of Iranian Shahed drones in Ukraine.
According to The War Zone on June 17, MBDA introduced its One-Way Effector concept at the Paris Air Show. The drone is intended to serve as a low-cost, expendable system that can overwhelm enemy air defenses through mass deployment.
A scale model was presented at the exhibition, with a full-sized version expected to measure approximately 10 feet in length.
The One-Way Effector is designed to carry an 80-pound warhead over a range of 310 miles and reach speeds up to 250 miles per hour using a jet engine—making it significantly faster than propeller-driven drones like the Shahed-136, which typically reach speeds of around 115 miles per hour.
MBDA's new One Way Effector concept at Paris Air Show: 3m lenght with 500km range and plans to produce up to 1,000 per month. https://t.co/Hva05HXrAj pic.twitter.com/CAIfmBU1Le
— Christian Rucker (@Ch_Ru_GER) June 17, 2025
While it offers a shorter range than the Shahed, the new drone prioritizes production efficiency and rapid deployment over endurance.
MBDA officials stated that the primary mission of the One-Way Effector is saturation. By deploying swarms of these drones alongside smaller numbers of high-value cruise or ballistic missiles, armed forces could strain and potentially bypass layered air defense systems.
This approach closely mirrors Russian tactics in Ukraine, where Shahed drones are often used in coordination with missile strikes to deplete Ukraine’s air defense resources.
To support large-scale production, MBDA plans to collaborate with an undisclosed French automotive company and a French drone manufacturer, aiming to produce up to 1,000 units per month. In contrast, MBDA currently manufactures only 40 Mistral surface-to-air missiles monthly.
The One-Way Effector will feature a composite body and use off-the-shelf components, including a warhead based on a 155mm artillery shell, to keep manufacturing costs and complexity low.
The drone will use GPS guidance and can be launched from the ground or from vehicles. While it does not feature artificial intelligence or swarming capabilities, it will be launched in coordinated salvos to achieve a concentrated effect on enemy defenses.
MBDA emphasized that the design prioritizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness over advanced stealth or autonomous features.
The One-Way Effector shares conceptual similarities with MBDA’s previously announced Orchestrike system, which uses air-launched SPEAR missiles coordinated by AI for saturation strikes. Unlike Orchestrike, the One-Way Effector is ground-launched and does not include AI coordination, but both systems aim to disrupt and overwhelm air defense networks.
-1afe8933c743567b9dae4cc5225a73cb.png)
MBDA began design work on the drone in December 2024, and a first test flight is scheduled for September or October 2025. If a contract is awarded, production could begin as early as 2027.
The company stated the drone is being developed in response to requirements from the French Armed Forces, and negotiations with France’s defense procurement agency, DGA, are expected to follow.
Earlier, on June 16, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled the Shahed-107 loitering munition, a long-range attack drone with an estimated range of 1,500 kilometers. According to Iranian media and Sky News sources, the drone may have already been supplied to Russia as part of a defense agreement dating back to early 2024.
