British drone-hunter system spotted in Ukrainian service
A British-made Terrahawk Paladin short-range air-defense system has appeared in service with Ukraine’s 156th Air Defense Missile Regiment, marking the first confirmed sighting of the platform on the battlefield.
The system, mounted on a MAN HX chassis, was originally promised to Ukraine in 2023 and is designed to counter unmanned aerial threats that continue to target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure.
The Terrahawk Paladin is a short-range anti-aircraft artillery system intended to defeat UAVs. The system is armed with a 30mm Mark 44 Bushmaster II cannon and includes a 360-degree surveillance radar, an electro-optical targeting system, and a night-vision channel for low-visibility engagements. The platform is fully autonomous and features integrated sensors for detecting, tracking, and engaging aerial, ground, and maritime targets at short distances.
The system is built on the MAN HX tactical truck chassis, which allows the launcher to operate as a mobile platform or be rapidly unloaded if required. Imagery of the Ukrainian-operated vehicle shows additional protective screens installed around the radar, a modification likely intended to shield mission-critical sensors from damage during drone attacks or fragmentation events.
The Terrahawk Paladin includes sensors and systems for detecting, tracking, and destroying air, ground, and sea targets at short range.
The Terrahawk Paladin joins a growing range of short-range counter-UAS and air-defense systems delivered to Ukraine to respond to the evolving threat of Russian drones, including Shaheds, Lancets, and small reconnaissance platforms. Western governments and manufacturers have accelerated delivery of mobile gun systems, radar-guided weapon stations, and electronic-warfare platforms to help Ukraine disperse its air-defense network and protect critical sites from low-flying threats.
The Paladin system emphasizes low-cost engagement, rapid reaction time, and modular design — attributes seen as increasingly important as Ukraine faces large volumes of inexpensive unmanned aircraft. Its fully autonomous mode allows the system to respond quickly with minimal crew input, improving survivability under conditions where operators must rapidly relocate or engage multiple threats in sequence.
