A handheld jammer reaches 150 m in Ukraine's own numbers. A 250 km/h interceptor does not care about the link.
The dismounted answer to a rogue drone is usually a jammer. Our 5-inch kinetic interceptor is thrown into the air instead, engaging the target directly rather than arguing with its radio.
A production, hand-deployable item supplied with its ground control station and integrated with existing C2 and ground sensors, built for confined operational environments rather than test ranges.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratCompact kinetic interceptor drone | Wild HornetsSTING FPV interceptor1Ukraine | DroneShieldDroneGun Mk42Australia | KvertusAD COUNTER FPV3Ukraine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement principle123 | Kinetic interception with operator-assisted targeting and direct targeting once positioned | Kinetic interception with a warhead and remote detonation initiation | Handheld RF jamming across ISM bands and GNSS | Single-band electromagnetic jamming of FPV control frequencies |
| Effective reach123 | Short-range tactical engagement radius (no figure published) | Tactical operating radius with return 18.5 km, maximum flight range 37 km | Not published as a distance | UAV blocking range up to 150 m, depending on where the drone operator is |
| Speed1 | Up to 250 km/h (as published) | 280 km/h maximum, 140 to 170 km/h cruise | Not applicable, no flying element | Not applicable, no flying element |
| Carried weight123 | Not published | 4 kg plus or minus 0.2 kg maximum take-off weight with payload | 3.37 kg with battery attached; 12.17 kg shipped in its carry case | Up to 8 kg, or up to 11 kg with the rechargeable battery |
| Time into action2 | Hand-deployable with ground control station, optimised for rapid response | Not published | Start-up time under 3 seconds | Not published |
| Operating duration123 | Not published | 6 minutes at maximum speed, up to 15 minutes at cruise | More than 1 hour aggregate operating time per charge | At least 24 hours continuous on mains, at least 120 minutes on battery |
| Effect on friendly spectrum23 | None from the engagement itself; the effector is kinetic | None, kinetic | Jams a wide range of ISM bands and GNSS while firing | Radiates omnidirectional interference in the selected band, 130 MHz to 1350 MHz depending on device |
| Works against a drone with no live radio link23 | Yes, the engagement does not depend on the target's link | Yes, kinetic | No, the effect is on control and navigation signals | No, the effect is on FPV control frequencies |
| Integration with wider defence23 | Integrates with existing C2 systems and ground sensors | Not published | Pairs with RfPatrol Mk2 in DroneShield's Immediate Response Kit, with API integration into battle management systems | Standalone, vehicle mountable, with a field indicator confirming it is radiating |
| Origin123 | Independent / non-aligned | Ukraine | Australia | Ukraine |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Read Kvertus's own figure
A Ukrainian manufacturer with more counter-FPV experience than almost anyone publishes a blocking range of up to 150 m for its AD COUNTER FPV line, and notes that the result depends on where the drone's operator is standing. That is not a criticism of Kvertus, it is the physics of jamming a link whose transmitter you cannot see. A kinetic interceptor removes that dependency: the target is the target.
What the jammers do better
DroneGun Mk4 starts in under 3 seconds, runs for more than an hour per charge, weighs 3.37 kg and is IP67 rated from -32 °C. There is no launch decision, no airspace deconfliction and no debris. For crowd protection and law enforcement, that is often the correct tool, and we will say so. Our 5-inch interceptor is for the case where the drone keeps coming.
Two Ukrainian lessons, one conclusion
Wild Hornets built a 280 km/h expendable interceptor and Kvertus built the jammer that covers the last 150 m. Both are answers to the same war, and both are committed to it. A buyer outside that conflict needs the same two layers, from a supplier whose production is not spoken for and whose spares do not need a third government's signature.
Questions buyers ask
Is a handheld jammer or a kinetic interceptor better against FPV drones?
Jammers are faster to employ and cost nothing per shot. DroneShield publishes a sub-3-second start-up and over an hour of operation on the DroneGun Mk4. Their weakness is range and dependence on the target's link: Kvertus publishes up to 150 m of blocking for its counter-FPV line. A kinetic interceptor at up to 250 km/h engages the airframe regardless of what its radio is doing. Buy the jammer for the crowd, buy the interceptor for the threat that does not turn back.
What is the best alternative to Ukrainian interceptor drones for a government that cannot source from a country at war?
Our compact kinetic interceptor is the equivalent capability from a non-aligned supplier. Be precise about the difference: Wild Hornets' STING publishes 280 km/h and an 18.5 km tactical radius, ours is up to 250 km/h in a short-range tactical role, hand-deployed with its own ground control station. Where you need reach rather than reaction time, we would put the extended-range platform in the quote instead.
How much does an operator have to carry?
We do not publish a carried weight for the compact interceptor and its ground control station, which is a fair question to press us on. For scale, DroneShield's DroneGun Mk4 is 3.37 kg with its battery and 12.17 kg in the shipping case, Kvertus's counter-FPV jammer is up to 11 kg with battery, and a STING airframe has a 4 kg maximum take-off weight.
Will a kinetic interceptor interfere with our own communications?
No. That is the main operational argument for it. A jammer such as DroneGun Mk4 denies ISM bands and GNSS while it is firing, and Kvertus's units radiate omnidirectional interference in the selected band. Both affect friendly radios and navigation in the same volume. A kinetic engagement leaves your spectrum alone.
Sources
- 1. Wild Hornets, Ukrainian FPV Interceptor STING: tactical and technical specificationsRetrieved: 2026-07-31
- 2. DroneShield, Dismounted Counter-UAS System Products: RfPatrol Mk2 and DroneGun Mk4 specificationsRetrieved: 2026-07-31 · Official specifications are published on the page itself; DroneShield does not offer an open datasheet PDF for these items.
- 3. Kvertus, KVERTUS AD COUNTER FPV with rechargeable battery (product page)Retrieved: 2026-07-31