Ukraine's Defense Intelligence has revealed details of an unusual air defense operation conducted to protect the capital, involving unmanned maritime platforms, interceptor drones, radar equipment, and F-16 fighter jets.
The operation was carried out in September by the FERRATA active operations unit, including its Black Sea Legion maritime detachment. The unit worked alongside the Ukrainian Air Force and other elements of Ukrainian forces.
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A key feature of the operation was the use of Katran unmanned platforms as part of the air defense architecture. Instead of deploying all detection and interception capabilities from fixed positions on land, some of the equipment was placed on uncrewed platforms operating on the water.
The Katran platforms served as carriers for both interceptor drones and radar reconnaissance equipment. This gave the air defense system an additional mobile component capable of operating from the water while contributing to the detection and interception of aerial targets.
The operation also involved coordination between the unmanned component and Ukrainian F-16 crews. The FERRATA operators worked to integrate the Katran-based capabilities with the fighter aircraft, bringing several different means of detecting and engaging targets into a common operational setup.
According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, the operation was part of a multilayered and echeloned air defense system. Different components were coordinated to detect and destroy hostile targets in both the air and on the water, rather than relying on a single type of platform or weapon.
Footage released by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence shows the FERRATA unit's command post and the coordination between the different elements involved in the operation. The video provides a glimpse of how the various manned and unmanned capabilities were integrated during the defense of the capital.
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