Middle Eastern countries want to buy interceptors from TAF Industries and SkyFall

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar are seeking to acquire interceptor drones from the Ukrainian company TAF Industries, the Financial Times reports. At the same time, Reuters writes that SkyFall — which produces the P1-Sun interceptor — has also received inquiries from allies and countries in the Middle East.

The UAE wishes to acquire 5,000 TAF Industries drones, while Qatar is seeking 2,000, the company’s founder Oleksandr Yakovenko told the FT. The quantity Kuwait intends to purchase has not been disclosed. TAF produces two interceptor models:

• Octopus-100, with a maximum speed exceeding 300 km/h and an operational ceiling of up to 4.5 km (the drone was developed within Ukraine’s Security and Defence Forces system and is produced under a licence from the Ministry of Defence);
• Kolibri-i10 – an upgraded version of the Kolibri 10 FPV drone, with a maximum speed exceeding 200 km/h and an operational ceiling of up to 3 km.

A SkyFall representative, Ares, did not specify to Reuters which countries had expressed interest in purchasing their interceptors. The company produces the P1-Sun interceptor, whose pilots have shot down more than 1,500 Shaheds and 1,000 other UAVs over four months.

The drone is priced at approximately $1,000, though the export version will be more expensive, a SkyFall employee said. The company can produce up to 50,000 interceptors per month and export between 5,000 and 10,000 without compromising Ukraine’s domestic requirements.

However, whilst the volume of drones is not expected to pose a problem, both Ukrainian companies identify a shortage of pilots as the primary obstacle. Yakovenko from TAF Industries states that training soldiers takes several months. SkyFall adds that it is prepared to dispatch instructors abroad, and that the pilot course at its own academy takes three weeks.