Wolf 25 AD: Slovak Anti-Drone System to Be Tested in Ukraine
Ukraine will study the capabilities of the Slovak Wolf 25 AD anti-aircraft artillery system, with plans to purchase hundreds of such systems in the future.
According to the Future Army media, the recently presented Wolf 25 AD anti-drone system, showcased at the IDET defense forum, was sent directly from the exhibition to Ukraine. Along with another sample, it will undergo extensive testing.
Based on the test results, a decision will be made regarding further purchases. The potential order quantity is not disclosed, but according to journalists’ information, it concerns hundreds of units.
It is reported that the development of this system was initiated two years ago by the “Ukrainian side.” Its main purpose is to protect artillery, convoys, and command posts on the front lines from enemy strike drones.
Developed by a Slovak company, the system is based on the Wolf 4×4 armored vehicle chassis, with a Mangart 25 AD turret from the Slovenian firm Valhalla Turrets mounted on its roof.
As the main armament, a 25mm automatic cannon and programmable ammunition were chosen, since this combination provides lower weight and comparable effectiveness to 30mm systems, which are significantly heavier and more expensive.
The Wolf 25 AD can independently search for targets thanks to an integrated S-band radar system from Rheinmetall. Its antennas can track up to 150 air targets within a 360° sector around the vehicle.
According to the technical specifications, target detection ranges are as follows:
- -Fighter jets — up to 20 km,
- Helicopters — up to 12 km,
- Missiles — up to 10 km,
- Lancet-type drones — up to 8–10 km,
- Reconnaissance drones — up to 5 km,
- Microdrones (FPV or commercial quadcopters) — up to 5 km.
The developers assure that the vehicle has already undergone testing against FPV drones: standard 25 mm ammunition successfully intercepted FPV drones at distances up to 350 meters. Thus, the system is designed to meet the challenges of modern battlefields, particularly in Ukraine.
It is currently unknown whether, in the case of large-scale purchases, the system will be integrated onto the chassis of a Ukrainian armored vehicle or if the choice will remain with the original platform by Deftech.
Ukraine already has the Varta 2 armored vehicle in its arsenal, which has demonstrated the capability to mount medium-caliber artillery systems and could serve as a platform for the Slovak system. However, in this case, significant structural modifications would still be required — simply mounting the turret on the roof is not enough. The installed radars require water cooling and have high power consumption, so the system’s operation necessitates the integration of several subsystems.
