Ukrainian Defense Forces may have received a new American Tempest air defense missile system it can be identified in a video published by Air Command Center in New Year greetings.
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Currently it's unclear how many Tempest air defense systems Ukraine could receive. Considering this is a new American development, it can be assumed we received one or several prototypes for testing and further improving this weapon type.
As a reminder, the Tempest air defense system was first presented in 2025, quite recently at the AUSA 2025 exhibition held in October several months ago.
This is a V2X company development existing in two variants on a trailer for protecting stationary objects, and in a mobile version, built on the principle of making a mobile and cheap drone-killer based on russian Ukrainian war experience.
However, how cheap operating such an air defense system will be is a debatable question. On the one hand, this is indeed an optimal solution for so-called MFGs (mobile fire groups) based on inexpensive COTS buggies.
But on the other hand, the Tempest air defense system uses AGM-114L Longbow missiles to engage targets, costing up to $100,000, which for intercepting Shahed-type drones is quite expensive pleasure.
Although of course, in conditions where russians increase production of this weaponry, we are forced to use such not-very-cheap options to destroy strike drones.
Defense Express previously reported that Ukraine received all promised Raven air defense systems, with hints that more of this weaponry may come.
Read more: Sweden Pays 140 mln Euros for Trackfire RWS by Saab to Counter Drones
