The British company Metis Aerospace has tested its new Skyperion lightweight passive radio frequency (RF) sensor for drone detection in Ukraine. However, as it turned out, the system is incapable of detecting all variants of Shahed drones.
The company's director told Janes that the sensor successfully detected Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 variants equipped with telemetry radios, video links, or commercial cellular modems.
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However, UAVs that navigate autonomously using satellite navigation combined with inertial guidance systems remain undetectable for this RF-based sensor. In such configurations, the drones effectively operate in radio silence.
Skyperion system is designed for wideband passive RF monitoring in the frequency range of approximately 30 MHz to 18 GHz. According to Metis Aerospace, the system can be integrated into broader counter-drone detection networks, where it detects and classifies targets based on signature libraries.
From an analytical perspective, this example illustrates why a single system cannot provide comprehensive detection and countermeasures against all types of unmanned aerial vehicles. Such sensors must operate as part of an integrated air defense architecture.
As for Skyperion system, the company reports successful testing in Ukraine but has disclosed only general conclusions typical for RF-based sensors. Detailed combat performance data have not been made public.
It appears unlikely that the system will be procured in significant numbers for Ukraine's Defense Forces, as domestic manufacturers offer comparable solutions that are often adapted more rapidly to battlefield requirements. However, deliveries remain possible within military assistance frameworks.
Overall, this case highlights how Ukraine is becoming a real-world testing environment for modern weapons systems, particularly in the field of unmanned technologies and counter-UAS solutions, where Ukrainian specialists possess extensive operational experience.
From the Defense Express side, we urge readers to join a fundraiser for a solution that is already proving effective: the One United Fundraiser, organized by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation to support interceptor drones.
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