"Moving towards an autonomous interceptor": Ukrainian company WIY upgrades Strila drone
The Ukrainian company WIY Drones has unveiled an upgraded version of Strila, its anti-Shahed interceptor drone. The modified Strila drone has begun to be supplied on a serial basis under government contracts, and in January 2026 its price was reduced from US$3,317 to US$2,292.
Source: a representative of WIY Drones, speaking to Oboronka, a defence industry project created by Mezha.Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company
Details: The new version of Strila features a SineLink communication system which enables it to be operated without GPS and increases resistance to electronic warfare jamming. In addition, the operator can now switch communication channels during flight. The daytime and night cameras have also been upgraded.
The company has scaled up production specifically for this model and is currently manufacturing about 100 interceptors per day.
Quote: "We have built a system that allows us to rapidly scale up output. Each drone undergoes separate testing – all modules and systems are checked, and every item is flight-tested. In addition, our team travels to military units to train pilots to operate the system."
Details: Strila is a high-speed interceptor UAV designed to counter Shahed-136-type drones. The manufacturer is positioning it as one of the fastest on the market. The drone can reach speeds of over 350 km/h, and during testing, the military accelerated it to 400 km/h. It is capable of operating at a distance of up to 14 km in tactical mode and covering up to 28 km at maximum range, reaching altitudes of up to 4,000 m. Its flight time is up to 10 minutes.
The interceptor is integrated with radars produced by RADA, an Israeli defence electronics company specialising in advanced radar and avionics systems, and the SkyMap, a digital moving map navigation and flight planning system. The system automatically guides the drone into the interception sector, and final targeting is carried out by the operator.
Quote: "We are moving towards the most autonomous interceptor possible. Now it enters the target sector independently, and when the operator establishes visual contact, it completes the interception. At the same time, we are working on optical recognition to compensate for radar errors and enhance guidance accuracy. The final strike, however, is left to the human operator."
Details: Ronina said over ten combat interceptions of Shahed drones have already been recorded.
Quote: "This is not a very large number, but so far we've supplied them in limited batches because we were waiting for the contract to be signed with the Defence Procurement Agency. The first shipment of hundreds of items was made two weeks ago (in mid-February 2026 – ed.)."
Details: According to the manufacturer, the price reduction became possible because of scaling up production and localising electronics. Currently, about 70% of Strila components are Ukrainian-made, including electronics and modules.
Background: In December 2025, WIY upgraded Strila, reinforcing it with a new optical module and navigation system.
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