"Ukraine's Hybrid Air Defense System Takes Down Russian Drone from 9 Kilometers Away"

Ukrainian officials have confirmed the deployment of ad hoc air defense systems known as FrankenSAM, developed as part of a Pentagon initiative, which have successfully shot down Russian-built kamikaze drones in Ukraine. The FrankenSAM project involves blending new interceptors and Western components with Soviet-era systems to bolster Ukraine's air defense capabilities. The systems include conversions of Soviet-designed Buk surface-to-air missile systems, repurposed U.S.-supplied heat-seeking AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and a blending of U.S.-designed Patriot surface-to-air missiles with existing Ukrainian air defense systems. These systems are providing valuable additional capacity against lower-end threats amidst Russia's resumption of large-scale missile and drone barrages.