‘No compromise’: How UAE is hunting down Iran’s Shahed drones – watch
Shahed-136 is one-way attack drone, a loitering munition designed to strike a target and explode on impact.The United States and its allies have largely relied on Patriot air-defence systems to intercept these threats. According to the UAE’s defence authorities, interception rates have exceeded 90 per cent, demonstrating the effectiveness of the American-made system.
However, the cost of each interception has become a growing concern among military planners. Destroying a drone worth around $20,000 with a missile costing about $4 million creates a significant economic imbalance. Even if most drones are intercepted, the defending side must expend far more resources to do so.
UAE’s Apache helicoptersThe UAE has operated Apache helicopters since the early 1990s. Over the years, the fleet has been upgraded—first to the AH-64D standard and later to the latest AH-64E Guardian variant.The attack helicopter is equipped with a 30-millimetre M230 chain gun, AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles and 70-millimetre rockets. Boeing delivered the first AH-64E Guardian to the UAE in August 2023.The US Army is also placing greater emphasis on the Apache’s drone-defence capabilities. At Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, the new 30×113 millimetre XM1225 APEX (Aviation Proximity Explosive) ammunition was tested in a live-fire exercise for the first time. During the trials, an Apache successfully conducted an air-to-air engagement against unmanned aerial systems (UAS), striking targets at various distances using proximity-fused munitions.The XM1225 APEX round was developed by the Product Manager Medium Caliber Ammunition (PdM MCA) at Picatinny Arsenal. It is designed to counter drones, exposed infantry and small boats, and can be used with the Apache’s M230 gun system without requiring modifications to either the weapon or the fire-control system. Extensive safety and functional testing is being carried out to ensure reliable operational performance.
