US turns to Ukraine for drone defense technology in Iran war, but solutions may take time

A week in the US war in IranAmerican drone expert Brett Velicovich joined Fox News anchor Jesse Watters to outline the role of advanced American drone defense technology used in the operation. On the split screen beside him, images of air defenses bringing down Iranian drones Shahed seemed to emphasize his point.

Except they weren’t American air defenses.

“Hello @FoxNews – a little clarification,” Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian drone company, wrote on X. “Images shown in this section include STING – a Ukrainian interceptor aircraft developed by engineers at Wild Hornets and used by Ukrainian air defense units to destroy Shahed-type drones.”

The mix-up has drawn attention to Ukraine’s expertise and America’s lack of self-defense preparedness, as Iran’s bombardment destroys dozens of interceptors in the Middle East.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine will work with the Pentagon and Gulf allies to share what it has learned during four years of drone warfare. And a spokesperson for Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian drone company, confirmed to CBS News that it is “ready to help Ukrainian partners if asked to do so.”

But experts say solutions will take time.

“It took Ukraine a very long time to get their rates up,” Robert Tollast, a drone expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told CBS News. “There is no off-the-shelf solution that you can just buy. Building a layered air defense system is very resource-intensive, and it takes time to build that technology into your security forces.”

Cost disparity

Within days of the war in Iran, the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf had already decreases in interceptorstwo district officials confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday. The crux of the problem was the cost disparity between the expensive launchers used to shoot down Iran’s relatively cheap drones. The Pac-3 Patriot air defense missiles used by many of America’s Gulf allies cost about $12 million to produce, while the Iranian Shahed drone costs $50,000.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy announced that the Pentagon and America’s Gulf partners want Ukrainian expertise to solve the problem.

“We received a request from the United States for direct support in the protection of the ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region. I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian experts who can ensure the necessary security,” said Zelenskyy to X, noting the previous post that “the same Iranian drones of the ‘shaheds’ have been attacking our cities, towns, and our infrastructure in Ukraine throughout this war.”

Ukraine is best suited to advise on cost-effective solutions to bring down drones, as it often lacks expensive Western air defense systems throughout its war. Zelenskyy noted at a press conference this week that the 800 Patriot air defense missiles used by the Gulf states to intercept Iranian missiles and drones have already exceeded the number of Patriot missiles supplied to Ukraine at the time. four years war with Russia.

Kyiv has instead invested in a layered system of missile interceptors, drone interceptors, artillery, and aircraft that shoot down Russian drones. Military drones, including the Wild Hornets’ Sting drones, cost as little as $2,500 — more expensive than the missiles used in the Middle East.

“Everyone now realizes that Ukraine’s experience in defense is, in many ways, irreplaceable,” Zelenskyy told X. “We are ready to share this experience and help those nations that have helped Ukraine this winter and throughout this war.”

Long term partnership, no quick fix

Even as Ukraine spreads its expertise in the Middle East, cooperation is more likely to take the form of long-term partnerships rather than quick fixes to the current shortages America’s Gulf partners are facing.

The solutions, experts say, are as much about tactics and knowledge sharing as they are about the deployment of specific technologies.

“There is no single magic bullet, no single interceptor drone, that can take down these drones,” Deborah Fairlamb, founder of Ukraine-based defense firm Green Flag Ventures, told CBS News. “Inside Ukraine, it’s a multi-layered defense that they use from the border with Russia and they’re able to track.”

Even the Wild Hornets’ Sting drones – which have brought down 3,900 drones over Ukraine since May 2025 – making an impact in the Middle East will take time.

“We can train an experienced pilot with our drones in three days,” Alex Roslin, a spokesman for the Wild Hornets, told CBS News. “But that doesn’t mean that a Ukrainian or US pilot can come and shoot down Shahed drones in three days. It’s about building teams and creating an integrated air defense network, and how to work with smart radar units and other teams.”

Experts emphasize that transferring this drone defense technology, in particular, is more difficult than other aspects of the war.

“The principle of a drone attack is that it forces you to defend everywhere at all times. You need simple mobile defenses, you need radars, you need very different types of defense that can be controlled against cheap drones,” said Tollast.

Nevertheless, Ukrainian drone manufacturers are always ready to help America’s Gulf allies as long as they are well aware of the long term.

“If the partnership is created by the government of Ukraine, we are ready to fulfill those requirements 1000%,” said Roslin. “But going through all the information, you can imagine how complicated that would be.”