Ukraine deploys US Tempest system to down 21 Russian drones

Wednesday 14 January 2026 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Ukraine deploys US Tempest system to down 21 Russian drones

Ukrainian forces have successfully intercepted at least 21 Russian Shahed drones using a newly revealed American-made short-range air defense system that had been operating covertly for months. The Tempest, a mobile platform developed by Virginia-based V2X, made its public combat debut in footage released by Ukraine's Air Command on January 13. An operator known as "Shorty" confirmed the tally in the video, stating that his team had destroyed 21 Shahed drones to date.

The system's unusual timeline underscores its rapid deployment: V2X unveiled Tempest publicly in October 2025 at the U.S. Army's association expo in Washington, yet footage from Ukraine's Air Command New Year's video showed it already in action by December. Defense analysts speculate that Ukraine received prototype units for operational testing ahead of the official launch. Built on a lightweight buggy chassis, Tempest mounts two launchers with AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, featuring millimeter-wave radar guidance for "fire-and-forget" engagements. It includes an onboard radar for target detection and employs "shoot-and-scoot" tactics, repositioning quickly after firing to evade retaliation.

"This machine keeps the sky locked down," Shorty said in the footage, noting that his crew destroyed all targets during a prior deployment in eastern Ukraine. The platform addresses a key gap in Ukraine's air defenses amid Russia's escalation, launching over 54,000 long-range drones in 2025, with Shahed strikes intensifying in winter. Previously, Ukrainian mobile units relied on truck-mounted machine guns, struggling as Russia adjusted tactics to fly drones at higher altitudes.

Tempest supplements larger Western systems like Patriot, IRIS-T, NASAMS, and SAMP/T, which prioritize cruise and ballistic missiles. Cost concerns linger, however: each Longbow Hellfire missile runs $100,000 to $150,000, compared to $35,000-$70,000 for a Russian Shahed. Neither Washington nor Kyiv has confirmed the transfer or number of units delivered, though available footage shows just one vehicle. Ukraine has invited foreign defense firms to test gear in real combat. In the latest Russian barrage overnight January 13-14, attackers launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 113 drones; Ukrainian defenses downed one missile and 89 drones.