Interceptor drone Blade: Ukrainian Ministry of Defence approves procurement from Phantom Defense

The Blade interceptor drone has been included in the procurement plan of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence; its purchase for the Ukrainian armed forces is thus approved. Behind its development is the Ukrainian company Phantom Defense. According to the company, Blade flies at up to 310 km/h, has a range of up to 30 kilometres and carries a payload of up to 500 grams.

Once certification is complete, the drone moves from the development and test phase into operational use with the armed forces, according to Phantom Defense. However, this does not mean that a specific quantity has already been ordered there or that large-scale deliveries have begun.

Blade was designed to intercept fixed-wing drones. Because the system is designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), it does not need its own runway. On board are an optical camera for daytime use and a thermal imager, so that the interceptor can be used around the clock. Blade is not intended for stand-alone use, however; rather, the drone forms part of a more comprehensive counter-drone system.

It is integrated into the “Phantom Defence” counter-drone system. This combines detection and electronic warfare (EW) with kinetic interception capabilities and with software that analyses situations and controls combat operations. When a dedicated sensor picks up an air target, the data goes to the control system. Depending on the type of threat, the operators then turn to EW countermeasures or to an interceptor such as Blade.

How the interceptor drone works

The system includes a ground station through which the flight is controlled and telemetry and video signals are received. According to the company, the operator works at a portable workstation that lasts at least four hours without an external power supply. In the middle section of the airframe there are two short stabilising wings; they provide the lift and stability that horizontal flight requires. Propulsion comes from four electric propeller motors mounted on arms on the underside of the fuselage in a quadcopter arrangement.

Blade will also be available via the “Brave1 Market”, Phantom Defense said – a marketplace for military systems and equipment that was created with state support. The drone was certified at a time when the number of unmanned systems developed in Ukraine and approved for the armed forces is growing rapidly.