Interceptor drones from Ukraine: Japan buys P1-Sun from SkyFall

For the first time, Japan is buying interceptor drones from Ukraine. At a press conference in Tokyo on 9 October 2026, Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that his ministry had concluded a contract with the Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall for the purchase of the “P1-Sun”. No details were given on quantity, contract value or configuration.

In the published transcript of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, Koizumi is quoted as saying: “The Japanese Ministry of Defense has already signed a contract to purchase interceptor drones from the Ukrainian company SkyFall. We are working towards delivery as quickly as possible.”

Tokyo is thus relying on technology that has emerged under the conditions of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and is being continuously developed further. It is unclear, however, which version Japan will receive. Besides the basic version, SkyFall's P1-Sun interceptor drone family also includes the longer-range “Long” version and the faster “JetKiller” version.

Interceptor drones of the P1-Sun family in detail

The modular P1-Sun is designed to fight hostile unmanned aircraft. Because its body is partly 3D-printed, modifications can reportedly be implemented quickly and large quantities produced. For the basic version, SkyFall states a range of around 23 kilometres, a flight time of more than 17 minutes and an altitude of up to 5,000 metres. A top speed of 310 kilometres per hour was cited in July 2026. Up to 800 grams of explosive is said to be enough to destroy the target. At around 1,000 euros apiece, the drone is far cheaper than an air defence missile.

The P1-Sun Long variant achieves a range of 33 kilometres and a ceiling of up to 9,000 metres. The fastest is the P1-Sun JetKiller, unveiled in July 2026 at the Farnborough Airshow: its data sheet lists up to 370 kilometres per hour, operating altitudes up to 9,000 metres, up to 15 minutes of flight time and a 500-gram warhead. These are maximum values that are not necessarily all achieved at the same time.

A company spokesperson who appears only under the code name Ares states that the JetKiller was developed in just three months and has already shot down more than a dozen jet-powered drones in troop trials. It has been in series production since August 2026, at up to 50,000 units per month. At the end of September 2026, SkyFall released footage showing a jet-powered Russian Geran-5 being shot down.

Depending on the equipment fit, there are cameras for day or night use as well as analogue or digital video transmission. An AI module can be fitted as an option; according to SkyFall, it detects and tracks targets at distances of up to one kilometre. It assists in the terminal phase of the interception, but does not turn the drone into a fully autonomous system. The operator remains in the loop and can control the drone via an internet-based system even from a great distance.

Learning from the front

Koizumi explicitly cited the combat experience of the Ukrainian troops as justification. As the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi reports the minister, rapid feedback from the front to the factory means that improved drone versions come out every two to three weeks. Japan can learn a great deal from Ukraine both in developing its own defence industry and in strengthening its industrial base. Tokyo needs deterrence and response capabilities and is examining further steps.

Behind the procurement lies a changed threat situation. Russia is increasingly using jet-powered variants of the Geran family, which fly considerably faster and higher than the previous propeller-driven versions. In September 2026, according to Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force, roughly every second Shahed launched was fitted with a jet engine. Interceptor drones with conventional propeller propulsion reach their limits here.

For SkyFall, the order from Japan is its most prominent export success to date. As early as February 2026, the company reported that the P1-SUN had intercepted more than 1,000 Russian targets in its first three months of production. In total, more than 10,000 Russian drones have been neutralised, according to CEO Mykola Makovieiev. In June 2026, a partnership with Airbus Defence and Space followed, with the aim of integrating the interceptor drones into European airspace surveillance. With the low-cost interceptors, Japan gains a lower defence layer beneath its expensive missile-based air defence. At the same time, the contract shows that Ukraine has turned from a recipient of military aid into an exporter of combat-proven defence technology.