US Deploys Interceptor Drones Developed for Ukraine to Counter Iranian Attacks, Army Secretary Says

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The United States has deployed 10,000 interceptor drones to the Middle East in an effort to counter Iranian aerial attacks while reducing reliance on high-cost missile defense systems, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Driscoll said the drones, known as Merops interceptors, were sent to the region within five days of the start of a U.S.–Israeli military operation against Iran that began on Feb. 28, Bloomberg reported. The deployment forms part of broader efforts by the U.S. military to address drone and missile threats targeting American forces and regional allies.

According to Driscoll, the Merops drones were initially developed in Ukraine through a defense technology initiative known as Project Eagle. The project is backed by former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt and was first introduced into Ukraine’s battlefield environment in 2024.

The U.S. Army secretary said the drones are equipped with artificial intelligence systems designed to identify and intercept hostile aerial targets. Their deployment to the Middle East reflects the growing emphasis within the U.S. military on counter-drone technologies that can be rapidly produced and deployed.

Driscoll told Bloomberg that the interceptor drones cost between $14,000 and $15,000 each under current procurement conditions. He added that larger production orders could potentially reduce the price of each unit to between $3,000 and $5,000.

The relative cost of the interceptor systems has become an important factor in the U.S. military’s planning, according to Driscoll. Iranian Shahed drones, which have been widely used in regional conflicts, are estimated to cost at least $20,000 per unit.

“We’re actually on the better end of the cost curve there,” Driscoll said in the Bloomberg interview. “So each time Iran launches one that we are able to take down, they are losing a meaningful amount of money.”

The deployment comes as U.S. and Israeli forces continue to confront a mix of aerial threats, including drones and ballistic missiles launched during the ongoing conflict involving Iran and its regional adversaries.

Until recently, U.S. and allied forces have relied heavily on high-end missile defense systems to intercept such threats. These systems include Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) platforms, whose interceptor missiles can cost more than $4 million each, Bloomberg reported.

Military planners have increasingly sought lower-cost alternatives capable of neutralizing drones and other aerial threats without expending expensive missile interceptors.

The Merops interceptor system represents one of several technologies being introduced to expand counter-drone capabilities in the region. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. military has been sending a range of such systems to Middle Eastern operational theaters.

Among them is the Coyote interceptor drone developed by RTX Corp., which has been used in previous counter-drone operations. The Coyote system is designed to track and intercept hostile unmanned aerial vehicles before they reach their intended targets.

In addition to Merops and Coyote interceptors, the U.S. Army has also deployed a system known as Bumblebee, according to Bloomberg. The Bumblebee platform consists of quadcopter drones equipped with explosive payloads intended to strike hostile drones directly.

The system is produced by Perennial Autonomy and was originally tested in Ukraine for use against moving targets before being adapted for counter-drone operations.

Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Army purchased the Bumblebee systems through a contract valued at approximately $5.2 million in January 2026.

The procurement was carried out through the Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401, a newly established initiative focused on developing and acquiring counter–unmanned aircraft system technologies and deploying them quickly across the armed forces.

According to Bloomberg, the task force was created to accelerate the development and fielding of systems capable of defending against increasingly frequent drone attacks.

The use of technologies tested in the war in Ukraine reflects the U.S. military’s effort to adapt battlefield innovations from that conflict to other operational environments.

Bloomberg reported that the Merops interceptors were initially deployed in Ukraine after their development through Project Eagle, where they were used in efforts to counter unmanned aerial threats.

The transfer of such systems to the Middle East illustrates how lessons learned from Ukraine’s conflict environment are being incorporated into U.S. military planning.

The deployment also comes amid political discussion in Washington about Ukraine’s potential role in assisting with drone defense in the Middle East.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had offered to send assistance to help intercept drones targeting U.S. and allied forces, according to Bloomberg.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the need for Ukrainian support in an interview broadcast Friday morning on Fox News Radio with host Brian Kilmeade.

“No, we don’t need their help on drone defense,” Trump said in remarks cited by Bloomberg. “We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually.”

Despite the political exchange, the interceptor drones being deployed to the Middle East were originally developed for use in Ukraine’s defense environment.

Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Army moved rapidly to transfer the Merops systems to the region once hostilities involving Iran escalated at the end of February.

Military officials have described the move as part of a broader strategy aimed at expanding layered air defenses that combine traditional missile interceptors with smaller, lower-cost systems capable of engaging drones.

The increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles in modern warfare has prompted militaries to seek new solutions capable of responding to large numbers of relatively inexpensive drones.

According to Driscoll, the cost advantage offered by interceptor drones can play a role in shaping the balance between offensive drone attacks and defensive responses.

“We’re actually on the better end of the cost curve there,” Driscoll said, referring to the price comparison between interceptor drones and Iranian Shahed systems.

The U.S. Army secretary said that reducing the cost of defensive interceptors could allow U.S. forces and their allies to maintain sustained air defense operations without depleting stocks of more expensive missile interceptors.

Bloomberg reported that the deployment of Merops drones forms part of the broader U.S. effort to protect military installations and allied infrastructure in the Middle East during the ongoing conflict.