TOKYO, April 8 - Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are evaluating a Ukrainian-developed interceptor drone marketed overseas by a Japanese company as a more affordable way to defend against waves of Iranian-made drones, Terra Drone's chief executive told Reuters.
The technology arrives amid intense use of low-cost, mass-produced drones by Tehran since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Those drone salvos - including Shaheds similar to ones used in other conflicts - have been met largely with expensive interceptor missiles, a dynamic that highlights how high-volume, low-cost airborne threats can rapidly reduce inventories of advanced air-defence munitions.
"Everyone started doing the maths. It simply doesn’t make economic sense and people are finally waking up to that," Toru Tokushige, chief executive of Terra Drone, said, describing a surge of enquiries from the Middle East since the conflict began.
Terra Drone prices each of its interceptor units at 400,000 yen, or roughly $2,526, according to the company. That compares with ground-launched Patriot interceptors, which can cost around $4 million apiece, while a Shahed attack drone is estimated to cost as little as $20,000.
In the opening week of the Middle East conflict, Iran launched more than 1,000 drones, and it is estimated to have production capacity on the order of 10,000 drones per month, Terra Drone said.
The Saudi and UAE embassies in Tokyo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Terra Drone, primarily known for commercial unmanned aerial systems, moved into military sales last month after striking an agreement with a Ukrainian start-up, Amazing Drones. Under that partnership the Japanese firm will market an interceptor design overseas while supplying investment and manufacturing expertise.
The interceptor, designated the Terra A1, was developed to counter Shahed-style attacks directed at Ukraine by Russian forces. The system has not yet been used in combat; Terra Drone expects to transfer units to Ukraine's military in the coming months for trial operations, Tokushige said.
Separately, Terra Drone already provides survey and inspection drones to Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco. Tokushige suggested the company's existing footprint in the kingdom could be leveraged to help establish interceptor drone production in the Middle East, noting Japan's manufacturing capabilities could be applied to this field.
"This is an area where Japan’s manufacturing strengths can be fully utilised," he said.
($1 = 158.3200 yen)