Thales presents new anti-drone missile already used by Ukraine
French contractor Thales Group has developed a 70-mm rockets
armed with anti-drone warheads now in use in Ukraine to counter Russian UAVs,
Business Insider reported on Oct. 6.
The warhead, designated FZ123, contains 907 grams of
explosive that propels thousands of steel pellets in a roughly
25-meter-diameter pattern—similar to shotgun buckshot—to disable one or more
drones in flight. Thales Belgium, where the system was developed, plans to
produce about 3,500 of the rockets by the end of the year and increase annual
output to 10,000 by 2026.
Thomas Colinet, director of tactical systems at Thales Belgium, confirmed that Kyiv’s demand already exceeds the company’s production capacity.
“It’s good that they’re asking for more—that means they’re satisfied,” he said. Colinet declined to specify how many warheads have been delivered.
He also would not disclose the per-unit cost of the new munition. According to the report, however, even the most expensive laser-guided 70-mm rockets generally cost about one-fifth as much as conventional tactical-level anti-air missiles. By comparison, cheaper surface-to-air missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow cost about $125,000 each.
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