In the war against Iranian drones, the US military is increasingly turning to an unexpected source: Ukraine’s experience. As The New York Times (NYT) reportsthe Pentagon wants to send thousands of interceptor drones from a system called Merops to the Middle East.

Developed with the help of Ukrainian frontline soldiers, it is considered one of the most effective responses to the growing threat of low-cost attack drones. Three US military officials spoke anonymously to the NYT about the Merops operation.

An encounter at the front

According to the report, the idea for the system goes back to a meeting in the summer of 2023. Eric Schmidt, managing director of the aerospace company Relativity Space, visited a Ukrainian drone unit near the front at the time.

According to NYT, the unit’s commander, Sergeant Oleksandr Karpiuk, remembers how the American entrepreneur peppered the soldiers with questions about combat drones. Initially, Schmidt wanted to develop an attack drone himself.

However, on the advice of the soldiers, he changed his approach. A system was created to defend against enemy drones. This led to the development of the Merops system. It includes small, relatively inexpensive interceptor drones.

Why the USA is suddenly interested

One thing is clear: modern warfare has changed significantly in recent years. It is now possible to fire large quantities of deadly projectiles at once. Ukrainians have been struggling with this challenge for years. An American official spoke to the “NYT” of “bloody lessons.”

Russia is using hundreds of so-called Shahed drones to overwhelm its neighboring country’s air defenses. According to NYT, a single drone costs around $50,000. According to the report, a Patriot defense missile costs around three million dollars.

For Ukraine, the growing interest in its own war experiences is a kind of late confirmation. President Volodymyr Zelensky has long emphasized that his country not only receives military aid, but also provides important insights into future warfare.

Merops is to be delivered to the Middle East

The United States have since the beginning of the Iran War Around 800 Patriot missiles were fired two weeks ago, according to the NYT report. Thousands of Merops interceptor missiles are now to be sent to the Middle East. The effectiveness of the system has been proven in Ukraine.

However, the Iran war also brings problems for Kiev. Increased use of Patriot missiles in the Middle East could further reduce already scarce inventories. In other words, the systems that Ukraine needs to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

A US military official admitted to the New York Times: If Washington has to decide whether to deliver Patriots to American troops or to Ukraine, the priority is clear. Kyiv is therefore hoping that its experiences in drone warfare will gain political weight.

“We have a sad expertise,” said an adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. “But because we have gained so much experience, we can help our partners.”