#

Gamepad Controller Was a Great Idea: German Tests of Tytan, the Interceptor of Shahed Drones Deployed in Ukraine (Video)

Tytan interceptor drone / Photo credit: Tytan Technology
Tytan interceptor drone / Photo credit: Tytan Technology
4135

​The Tytan air defense drone is purposed to intercept Shahed-136 killer drones and reconnaissance UAVs, and it's a good sign that you can operate it via an ordinary gamepad controller

Earlier Defense Express reported that Ukrainians have begun testing an anti-aircraft drone designed to intercept russian unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles (e.g. Orlan-10, Zala-series) and long-range kamikaze drones such as the Shahed-136 and alike.

Thanks to the photo provided by the Brave1 government-led military techcluster, we identified it as the Tytan air defense drone from the German startup Tytan Technology.

Read more: Ukraine Tests High-Speed Interceptor Drone from TYTAN Technologies

A few interesting details have transpired. It turns out, this product is currently undergoing a similar round of tests in Germany, conducted under the auspices of the Bundeswehr's Cyber Innovation Hub. A video published two weeks ago, on December 11, shows this drone being evaluated at a training ground near Ohrdruf, central Germany.

The manufacturer says the development of this product, ongoing for a year already, has been influenced by Ukraine's experience and the demand for cheap weapons against enemy drones.

The company is also working on the drone's artificial intelligence algorithms, or rather, its "machine vision." That is why Ukraine's Brave1 mentions "working towards matching the manufacturer with Ukrainian developments of related solutions."

The German startup has also already published the specifications of Tytan: speed "over" 250 km/h, range "over" 15 km, take-off weight 5 kg, payload capacity up to 1 kg (which affects the size of warhead). Worth noting, the said margin of "over" can be interpreted quite broadly because Brave1 declares a speed of 300 km/h and a range of 20 km for this interceptor drone.

The product's low cost was achieved by the active use of 3D printing. In particular, the drone's body is made entirely through additive manufacturing. Additionally, the drone is launched from a container, the developer promotes this as a way for equipping armored vehicles with anti-aircraft capability.

Tytan production workshop, the launcher for armored vehicles, and the Steam Deck controller / Defense Express / Gamepad Controller Was a Great Idea: Ukrainians Test Tytan, German Interceptor of Shahed Drones (Video)
Tytan production workshop, the launcher for armored vehicles, and the Steam Deck controller / Photo credit: Tytan Technology

Perhaps the most interesting part is that the field controller for Tytan is an ordinary Steam Deck — a fairly powerful (for its size) device originally intended for portable gaming, issued by Valve. This small detail is actually an excellent marker of positive shift of perspective in the military drone industry. Especially since Ukrainian developers, too, utilize Steam Deck in many of their own drones and robotic platforms.

Just a year or two ago, the Bundeswehr would hardly have even let on the doorstep any developer who would use a ready-made commercial solution to control weapons, especially from the gaming industry. Back then, the main requirement would be an exclusively military-use solution, with a separate development yet overall similar software and hardware solution in a green shockproof case.

But this approach is exactly what makes the Tytan interceptor drone look so viable. That said, its real effectiveness confirmation is due for a test, and the trials in Ukraine are the best way to find out.

Read more: Latvia Still Has An-2 Aircraft, How About Turn Them Into Kamikaze Drones and Wipe Out russian Oil Industry