MaXon Systems: Ukraine Confirms First Autonomous Drone-on-Drone Combat Intercept

On 8 June 2026, Ukraine's 12th Separate Special Purpose Center in Kharkiv Oblast carried out the first confirmed fully autonomous drone-on-drone interceptions in recorded combat conditions, using a fixed-wing interceptor developed by Kyiv startup MaXon Systems. The engagement required an operator to select a target and issue a single command; the system then navigated, identified, and destroyed the incoming Shahed drone without further human input. At approximately $3,500 per unit against a Shahed production cost estimated at $40,000 to $70,000, the exchange ratio inverts the economics that have governed air defence since the guided missile era.