Ukrainian Troops Adopt Tempest Air Defense System
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have brought the American-made short-range Tempest surface-to-air missile system into service.
Ukraine’s Air Command “Center” released footage of the system in combat use in a New Year’s video and was later noted by analysts from the Vodohrai group.
The video captures a Tempest missile being launched during the interception of a nighttime air attack, likely targeting a Shahed-type drone or a Gerbera unmanned aerial vehicle.
Very little information is available about the system. American company V2X first presented it at the AUSA 2025 defense exhibition in Washington, D.C., in October 2025. However, its exact technical specifications were not disclosed, and the transfer of the system to Ukraine was never officially announced.
The Tempest surface-to-air missile system is designed to counter enemy drones, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft in all weather conditions.
The combat vehicle is built on a chassis similar to the commercial Can-Am Maverick X3 buggy and is intended for operations where mobility and a low visual profile are critical.
The system uses two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for interception. The company did not specify the missile variant during the presentation; however, the AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow with a radar seeker is likely being used.
A radar is mounted on the buggy’s frame, presumably providing target detection and missile guidance. Optical targeting systems and laser guidance equipment were not demonstrated at the exhibition. It can therefore be assumed that the radar is the primary means of target acquisition and guidance, which further supports the assumption that AGM-114L missiles are in use.
The system’s modular radar architecture is stated to enable the platform to switch between mobile and stationary configurations without loss of situational awareness or tracking accuracy.
In addition to the mobile version, V2X offers a trailer-mounted Tempest variant for static or semi-fixed missions, such as base defense and airfield perimeter protection.
Despite the limited ammunition load—only two missiles per launcher—the Hellfire missiles are equipped with a powerful 9 kg warhead. This is sufficient to reliably destroy attack drones in the air while minimizing collateral damage on the ground from debris.
The idea of using Hellfire missiles in an air defense role to intercept relatively slow-moving targets, such as drones, is not new. This concept was first implemented on mobile M-SHORAD air defense systems.
