Ukraine Quietly Fields US-Made Tempest Air Defense System in Combat

Ukraine appears to have deployed the US-made Tempest, a short-range air defense system built on a highly mobile vehicle, against Russian drones in combat.

Neither Kyiv nor Washington officially announced the transfer, but Ukrainian analysts identified the system from video footage released by Kyiv’s Air Force Command Center.

Developed by US firm V2X, the Tempest was publicly unveiled in October 2025 at the Association of the United States Army exhibition.

The appearance of the Tempest in Ukraine could either be part of an accelerated transfer or one of the limited prototype systems for operational evaluation, according to Defence Express.

The Tempest

The Tempest is a lightweight and modular combat vehicle equipped with dual launchers that can fire AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow missiles, which use millimeter-wave radar guidance.

Analysts assess that the short-range Tempest is optimized to intercept drones, helicopters, and low-altitude aircraft in all weather conditions, complementing Ukraine’s larger air defense assets such as the Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T.

The system relies on onboard radar for target detection and missile guidance, enabling rapid engagement while supporting “shoot-and-scoot” tactics to reduce vulnerability to counterfire.

Built from commercially available components, the Tempest is cheaper and faster to produce than conventional military vehicles.

Hellfire Longbow

The Hellfire Longbow missiles, with a 20-pound (9-kilogram) warhead and a range of roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers), were originally developed for air-to-ground operations but have increasingly been adapted for counter-drone roles.

While they provide a potent capability, their use against typically low-cost drone threats comes at a high cost, with unit prices commonly estimated at $150,000 or more.

At the same time, operators are relying on existing stocks, as primary production of the AGM-114L Longbow ended around 2005.

Production of newer Hellfire variants, such as the AGM-114R, continues, while the missile family is gradually being superseded by the AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), which is now in full-rate production.