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Ukraine Still Downed 74% of Jet Shaheds During Starlink Slowdown: ISW
Business Insider • • world
Key Points:
- Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 74% of Russian jet-powered Shahed drones from October 14 to 24, slightly lower than the typical 77% interception rate, despite a 10-day Starshield service slowdown.
- Fighter jets, particularly F-16s equipped with M61A1 Vulcan cannons, played a crucial role in countering jet Shaheds, with Ukraine recently acquiring over 50,000 rounds from Denmark to sustain air defense efforts.
- The reliance on F-16s poses challenges, including increased pilot risk, higher maintenance demands, and diversion from other missions, highlighting the need for enhanced interceptor drone capabilities.
- Ukraine aims to strengthen its air defense by developing interceptor drones capable of countering faster jet-powered Shaheds, but the effort remains in early stages and was hampered during the Starshield slowdown.
- The Starshield connectivity issues, which affected drone interceptions, coincided with political tensions involving Elon Musk and Donald Trump, though both denied responsibility; services were restored as of late October.
