- Category
- Latest news
Ukrainian Engineers Create Chipa Net Gun to Counter FPV Drones
- Authors
![Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko]( "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
Ukrainian company BlueBird Tech introduced a specialized tool for short-range drone interception.
The device, known as the Chipa net launcher, is designed to neutralize strike FPV drones at close distances, according to Defence Blog on March 11.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The system operates by launching a specialized net that deploys in mid-air to entangle a drone's propellers. This mechanical interference causes the aircraft to lose lift and crash before it can reach its target.
The developers state that the net measures approximately three by three meters upon deployment. The system features an effective interception range of up to 25 meters, allowing an operator to aim and fire just as the drone approaches.
"In a situation where FPV drones have become one of the key means of attack, solutions for close-range interception become critically important," BlueBird Tech engineers stated.
"BlueBird Tech is constantly working to create effective means of protecting the lives of Ukrainian military personnel."
The system is designed for maximum speed. To operate it, a soldier must pull a safety pin, aim at the target, and pull the trigger. The entire process takes only a few seconds, which is vital when a drone is already within visual range.
Unlike firearms or electronic warfare (EW) systems, the Chipa launcher does not rely on radio signals or frequency jamming. Because it operates mechanically, it does not emit electronic signatures that could reveal an operator's position to enemy reconnaissance.
Furthermore, capturing a drone with a net reduces the risk of shrapnel. While shooting down a drone with small arms can cause dangerous fragments to scatter, the net method allows for a more controlled neutralization of the threat.
BlueBird Tech describes the Chipa as a "last line of defense." It is intended for scenarios where an FPV drone has bypassed other defensive measures and is closing in on soldiers, vehicles, or fortified positions.
Ukraine became the first nation to test the French-developed DWS-1 drone defense system, which was capable of coordinating hundreds of interceptor drones simultaneously.
The system, produced by the startup Atreyd, functioned as an aerial "minefield" designed to protect critical infrastructure from Russian Shahed drones and glide bombs. It consisted of 200 FPV-type interceptors connected to an AI-powered command center that allowed a single operator to manage up to 100 drones at once without relying on GPS.
Equipped with 3D terrain mapping and friend-or-foe identification, the technology was specifically built to operate under intense electronic warfare conditions.
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
