Ukraine’s LITAVR+ Interceptor Drone Hunts Jet-Powered Shaheds at 400 km/h
Ukrainian defense firm F-Drones has unveiled LITAVR+, an upgraded version of its LITAVR interceptor drone built specifically to chase down Russia’s jet-powered Shahed attack drones. Capable of exceeding 400 km/h, the system has completed factory testing and racked up confirmed kills in combat trials.
At a Glance
- Manufacturer: F-Drones (Ukraine)
- Product: LITAVR+, an upgraded version of the existing LITAVR interceptor drone
- Target: Russia’s jet-powered Shahed attack drones
- Speed: over 400 km/h (the base LITAVR topped out around 350 km/h)
- Warhead: 500 grams, able to neutralize targets up to 9,000 meters altitude
- Navigation: proprietary GPS-independent navigation with terminal (last-mile) guidance
- Status: factory testing complete, in combat trials, confirmed intercepts documented on video
- Available for order by the Ukrainian military
Background: A Speed Race Against Jet-Powered Shaheds
Russia’s integration of jet engines into Shahed attack drones created a new problem for Ukrainian air defense: targets too fast for conventional propeller-driven interceptors to catch. F-Drones responded by developing LITAVR+, an upgraded version of its flagship LITAVR interceptor. The company’s CEO said LITAVR+ has successfully completed factory testing, is now in combat trials, and has achieved confirmed results destroying enemy jet-powered UAVs, backed by video footage.
Technically, LITAVR+ reaches speeds over 400 km/h, compared with roughly 350 km/h for the base LITAVR. It carries a 500-gram warhead capable of neutralizing targets up to 9,000 meters in altitude. The drone runs on proprietary software with a GPS-independent navigation system and a terminal guidance capability that lets it complete a mission without pilot intervention — a feature that matters heavily in an electronic-warfare-saturated environment.
F-Drones officials said the product is now available for order by the Ukrainian military. The launch fits a broader pattern in which a growing number of Ukrainian private manufacturers have been iterating rapidly on interceptor drone technology based on direct frontline feedback.
Regional Impact
The arrival of LITAVR+ marks a new stage in the speed-and-range race between attack and defense drones in the Russia-Ukraine war. Low-cost, mass-producible interceptors built to counter jet-powered threats like this one are a category that NATO members and other countries, including Turkey, are watching closely as they shape their own counter-drone strategies. As Turkey develops its own anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, combat-tested performance data from Ukraine’s interceptor programs offers a useful reference point for how air defense architectures worldwide are adapting to fast, low-altitude threats.
FAQ
What is LITAVR+? An upgraded interceptor drone from F-Drones designed to catch jet-powered Shahed drones.
How fast is it? It exceeds 400 km/h, versus roughly 350 km/h for the previous version.
Has it been used in combat? Yes, the system is currently in combat trials, with confirmed intercepts documented on video.
