UMEX 2026 – General Cherry unveils the Bullet interceptor drone

At the UMEX 2026 exhibition in Abu Dhabi the Ukrainian General Cherry exhibited for the first time its Bullet, an interceptor drone designed to kill Shahed kamikaze drones

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is characterized by the massive use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) competing for air superiority at low and medium altitudes. Specialized interceptor drones, which began appearing en masse in late 2024, are already competing with traditional air defense systems in several roles.

The Ukrainian leadership views increasing domestic production of interceptor drones as a way to reduce dependence on foreign supplies of low-level air defense systems.

The proven effectiveness of interceptor drones has led to massive orders for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Large private foundations have played a significant role, organizing mass purchases of hundreds and thousands of standardized interceptor drones. The development of the technology was also facilitated by the creation of the Unmanned Systems Force (USF) of Ukraine in 2024.

At the UMEF exhibition in Abu-Dhabi, at the NAUDI association’s stand, General Cherry presented the Bullet one-way interceptor drone, which it describes as an effective means of intercepting aerial targets such as the Russian Shahed high-speed loitering munitions, including the Shahed-136 (Geran-2) and Shahed-238 (Geran-3), as well as similar attack UAVs with a cruising speed of 230-250 km/h.

As General Cherry explained to EDR On-Line, the drone’s speed is 310 km/h, with a cruising speed endurance of up to 25 minutes, a burst mode duration of 2-4 minutes, a target recognition range of up to 600 metres, a warhead mass of 0.4-0.8 kg, an effective flight altitude of 3,000 m, and a tactical range of up to 17-20 km.

Four electric motors with two-bladed propellers are mounted at the tips of four delta wings, forming an X-shaped layout. The motors are powered by an 8S3P Li-Ion battery installed in the drone’s body. The optoelectronic camera, warhead, and radio communications equipment are housed in the nose of the drone. Radio control operates in the frequency range of 270 MHz to 2.9 GHz, and the video communication channel operates in the frequency range of 1.2-7.2 GHz.

The X-shaped configuration of the Bullet interceptor drone is essentially similar to that of Ukrspetsexport’s Sky Saber interceptor drone, which was unveiled in Abu Dhabi in 2025 at the IDEX 2025 exhibition. This configuration provides the drone with increased manoeuvrability in various aerial target interception scenarios, such as a curved chase or a parallel approach.

According to a company representative, the cost of the Bullet interceptor drone is approximately US$ 2,100.

Photos by N. Novichkov