Ukraine could become the first country where the United States’ newest Tempest air-defense system is being tested in a real war.
The new “drone killer,” unveiled only a few months ago, may already be in use by Ukraine. The Ukrainian military has likely received the latest U.S.-made Tempest surface-to-air missile system for trials.
According to Defense Express, a New Year’s greeting video posted by the Air Command “Center” appears to show the system, which journalists and military analysts identified.
There has been no official announcement that Tempest has been transferred to Ukraine. But analysts say the system’s external features and configuration suggest it could be the latest U.S. development, one that has not appeared on lists of officially supplied weapons.
There is no information yet on how many Tempest systems may have been provided. Given the system’s novelty, it may be limited to one or several units. Ukraine could be testing the system in combat to assess effectiveness and refine it for modern warfare, particularly against mass drone attacks, the outlet notes.
The Tempest surface-to-air missile system was first shown publicly in 2025. Its debut came at the AUSA 2025 exhibition in October, just a few months ago.
The system was developed by U.S. company V2X. It was designed with lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war in mind and the need for affordable, mobile solutions to counter unmanned threats.
Tempest comes in two main configurations. The first is a trailer-based variant intended to protect fixed sites, including infrastructure and military bases. The second is a mobile version built as a “mobile, low-cost drone killer.”
The mobile variant is aimed at use by agile firing units and can be mounted on light platforms, including commercial COTS buggies, making it a flexible tool against aerial threats.
Still, reporters note that despite the stated focus on relative affordability, operating costs remain a point of debate. The system uses AGM-114L Longbow missiles, which open sources say can cost up to $100,000 per round.
For intercepting Shahed-type attack drones, that may not be economical. Even so, amid Russia’s rapid expansion of drone production, Ukraine has had to employ the full range of available air defenses, including options that are not especially cheap.
