#Short-range air defense (SHORAD)

Ukraine’s systematic campaign against Russian air defense systems is turning once heavily protected airspace into a network of exploitable gaps. With dozens of confirmed hits on launchers and radars in the first months of 2026 alone, Kyiv is reshaping the geometry of the battlefield and forcing Moscow into impossible choices. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is exploring multiple options—from licensing Western systems like Patriot to developing a fully Ukrainian alternative capable of protecting the country’s skies.

Despite possessing the world’s most advanced military and missile defense network, the United States could face unexpected challenges defending its own territory against an Iranian drone attack. Analysts say the issue stems from the structure of US homeland air defense systems, which were designed for very different threats.