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Shahed Killers: Ukraine and France Launch Next-Gen Jet-Powered Interceptor Drones
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France and Ukraine have jointly introduced a new anti-drone system equipped with both conventional and turbojet-powered interceptors, following several months of operational use in Ukraine, according to a press release from Alta Ares on November 17.
The Safe Protection Dome system was unveiled during President Emmanuel Macron’s meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, where both leaders also signed a letter of intent covering up to 100 Rafale fighter jets, SAMP/T air defense systems, and additional drones.
The company stated that the system is designed to address the growing threat from long-range attack drones such as Shahed-type UAVs.
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Alta Ares confirmed that its interception complex—which combines French and Ukrainian technologies—successfully completed NATO validation on October 20, 2025.
According to the company’s release, the system was deployed in Ukraine less than two weeks later and recorded its first confirmed interceptions against Russian Shahed drones.
Alta Ares CEO and co-founder Hadrien Canter said the rapid transition from NATO certification to combat deployment underscores the effectiveness of Franco-Ukrainian cooperation.
“Just two weeks after passing NATO validation, our system demonstrated its effectiveness by successfully destroying Russian Shahed drones,” he said.
“This is the result of the dedicated work of our engineers in France and Ukraine. We are sincerely grateful to our Ukrainian and French partners for their trust and the opportunity to work side by side,” he added.
Tenebris CEO Bohdan Velma, whose Ukrainian company develops interceptor UAVs in partnership with Alta Ares, emphasized the importance of the bilateral initiative.
“We are already working to localize production at French facilities after obtaining export permits, while simultaneously expanding manufacturing in Ukraine,” he said.
“This will allow us to create a resilient, dual-national defense technology cluster capable of meeting critical needs for both Ukraine and our partners in Europe,” he added.
According to Alta Ares, the Safe Protection Dome integrates Thales and Echodyne tactical radars with two categories of interceptors:
X-Wing quadcopter interceptors for short-range engagements;
Turbojet-powered interceptors jointly developed by French and Ukrainian engineers.
The system is designed to neutralize targets at ranges up to 30 km. The company says its built-in artificial intelligence guidance suite increases end-game interception accuracy by 35 percent.
Alta Ares reported that production of the turbojet interceptor is already underway, using 85 percent European components and avoiding reliance on Chinese battery systems.
Earlier, on November 5, Militarnyi reported that Ukraine had launched mass production of the STING interceptor drone, developed by the Wild Wasps group to counter Shahed-type UAVs. In just four months, the system has reportedly downed over 1,000 enemy drones, with nearly half of those destroyed in October alone.
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