Russia Tests Arkhangel Drone Interceptor in Kursk to Counter Ukrainian UAV Threats
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Russia is testing its Arkhangel drone-interceptor system in the Kursk region. Russian reports describe the system as designed to intercept Ukrainian UAVs before they reach populated areas, though this operational concept remains unverified. The project, led by Kalashnikov Concern, seeks to cut interception costs and fill gaps in Russia’s overstretched air defenses.
According to a statement from Mikhail Filippov, one of the leaders of the Russian “people’s military-industrial complex”, a volunteer network supporting drone production, Russia seems to be conducting trials of a new drone-interceptor system called Arkhangel in the border region of Kursk, pairing dedicated interceptor crews with mobile radar teams to hunt Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs away from populated areas. Statements attributed to project lead Mikhail Filippov describe Arkhangel as an additive layer for air defense rather than a substitute for missiles or guns, with the concept aimed at driving down intercept cost per shot. As a Russian domestic news aggregator, BezFormata’s report should be treated cautiously pending independent corroboration.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Russia’s Arkhangel interceptor drone is reportedly capable of speeds up to 360 km/h with an operational range of about 50 km. Designed by Kalashnikov Concern, it is intended to engage and destroy hostile UAVs before they reach critical targets, using either kinetic impact or a small explosive payload (Picture source: Telegram channels).
Ukrainian outlets corroborate the test location and repeat the claimed performance. PRM.ua reports a top speed around 360 kilometers per hour and a combat radius up to 50 kilometers, while UNIAN adds that Kalashnikov has begun producing “combat” versions and that trial crews and mobile radar groups are already deployed in the Kursk area for operational testing. These figures are the program’s own claims and have not been independently verified.
Russian press tracked earlier trials on the Crimean peninsula that focused on integration with existing air-defense sensors. TopWar and Lenta reported in June that Arkhangel test teams rehearsed cueing from radar stations and rapid deployment of mobile strike groups, and that the interceptor “fit” existing radar networks without modification, with publicized speeds near 340 kilometers per hour and ranges up to 50 kilometers. Those Crimea demonstrations suggest iterative maturation through spring and summer 2025 rather than a single fixed configuration.
The industrial picture has sharpened since late August. Kalashnikov Concern announced it would manufacture Archangel project drones on its production lines under a memorandum with Archangel LLC, with TASS carrying the statement and multiple Russian business outlets amplifying the plan. The press materials emphasize FPV-class drones but signal that Kalashnikov is scaling a portfolio of Archangel-derived systems, training operators, and moving select grassroots designs into serial production. The company did not disclose model numbers, quantities, or whether the Kursk interceptors are part of these first “combat” batches.
Regional media in August shared footage and descriptions of a carrier aircraft lofting Arkhangel drones to roughly 1.5 kilometers before release, with the carrier doubling as a radio relay for targets beyond the ground control station’s horizon. Independent analysis of a separate MiG-29 “drone strap-on” scene cautioned that at least some visuals appeared improvised and raised questions about datalinks, release safety, and guidance logic, which underlines the need to separate concept demonstrations from fieldable tactics.
In April, TASS quoted Filippov unveiling an Arkhangel build that reached about 280 kilometers per hour with an engagement range up to 50 kilometers and interchangeable warheads from roughly 700 grams to 7 kilograms, and noted options for ground launch or use from an aircraft carrier platform. Later claims stepped the peak speed to the 340 to 360 kilometer per hour range, which may reflect multiple airframes or propulsion updates. Until verified by independent testing, these numbers should be treated as program assertions.
Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has repeatedly hit energy and logistics nodes deep inside Russia, including refineries and depots, stretching air-defense coverage and creating a cost-exchange problem for Moscow. In that context, Russia’s development of a low-cost, fast interceptor reflects its need to adapt to persistent Ukrainian drone strikes on logistics and energy nodes. Proof will hinge on whether Arkhangel can consistently detect, overtake, and destroy small ISR aircraft in contested electromagnetic conditions.
Where Arkhangel sits in Russia’s wider counter-UAS architecture is still unsettled. Russian coverage links the family to land-based radar groups and, separately, to Black Sea counter-USV defense concepts, which implies a modular approach rather than a single model. Without transparent procurement data, serial batch identifiers, or unit assignments, it is unclear whether Kursk deployments are pre-series lots, operational testing with limited fielding, or the first wave of broader rollout under Kalashnikov’s memorandum.
The concept echoes Western efforts that emphasize reusable or attritable interceptors guided by networked sensors. Anduril’s Roadrunner is a reusable twin-jet VTOL interceptor that can launch vertically, pursue targets at high subsonic speeds, and return to base if no intercept is required, a design now under U.S. contracts for counter-UAS missions. The U.S. Army and Navy also field Raytheon’s Coyote interceptors with seekers and warheads adapted for small drone defeat, with recent deployments expanding to sea-based launchers. Arkhangel, if mature, would align more with attritable one-way or limited-use interceptors cued by mobile radars than with high-end reusable jets, but the Russian program’s exact guidance, seeker, and recovery modes are not yet documented publicly.
The Kursk and Crimea reports show a real testing effort, paired with Kalashnikov’s intent to scale production across Archangel-branded drones. The air-launch clips show experimentation with range and timeline compression. The unresolved questions are the ones that matter operationally: seeker reliability against small, low-contrast targets, command-link resilience under jamming, positive control to avoid fratricide with friendly air defenses, and the true cost per intercept relative to Ukrainian UAVs.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Russia is testing its Arkhangel drone-interceptor system in the Kursk region. Russian reports describe the system as designed to intercept Ukrainian UAVs before they reach populated areas, though this operational concept remains unverified. The project, led by Kalashnikov Concern, seeks to cut interception costs and fill gaps in Russia’s overstretched air defenses.
According to a statement from Mikhail Filippov, one of the leaders of the Russian “people’s military-industrial complex”, a volunteer network supporting drone production, Russia seems to be conducting trials of a new drone-interceptor system called Arkhangel in the border region of Kursk, pairing dedicated interceptor crews with mobile radar teams to hunt Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs away from populated areas. Statements attributed to project lead Mikhail Filippov describe Arkhangel as an additive layer for air defense rather than a substitute for missiles or guns, with the concept aimed at driving down intercept cost per shot. As a Russian domestic news aggregator, BezFormata’s report should be treated cautiously pending independent corroboration.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Russia’s Arkhangel interceptor drone is reportedly capable of speeds up to 360 km/h with an operational range of about 50 km. Designed by Kalashnikov Concern, it is intended to engage and destroy hostile UAVs before they reach critical targets, using either kinetic impact or a small explosive payload (Picture source: Telegram channels).
Ukrainian outlets corroborate the test location and repeat the claimed performance. PRM.ua reports a top speed around 360 kilometers per hour and a combat radius up to 50 kilometers, while UNIAN adds that Kalashnikov has begun producing “combat” versions and that trial crews and mobile radar groups are already deployed in the Kursk area for operational testing. These figures are the program’s own claims and have not been independently verified.
Russian press tracked earlier trials on the Crimean peninsula that focused on integration with existing air-defense sensors. TopWar and Lenta reported in June that Arkhangel test teams rehearsed cueing from radar stations and rapid deployment of mobile strike groups, and that the interceptor “fit” existing radar networks without modification, with publicized speeds near 340 kilometers per hour and ranges up to 50 kilometers. Those Crimea demonstrations suggest iterative maturation through spring and summer 2025 rather than a single fixed configuration.
The industrial picture has sharpened since late August. Kalashnikov Concern announced it would manufacture Archangel project drones on its production lines under a memorandum with Archangel LLC, with TASS carrying the statement and multiple Russian business outlets amplifying the plan. The press materials emphasize FPV-class drones but signal that Kalashnikov is scaling a portfolio of Archangel-derived systems, training operators, and moving select grassroots designs into serial production. The company did not disclose model numbers, quantities, or whether the Kursk interceptors are part of these first “combat” batches.
Regional media in August shared footage and descriptions of a carrier aircraft lofting Arkhangel drones to roughly 1.5 kilometers before release, with the carrier doubling as a radio relay for targets beyond the ground control station’s horizon. Independent analysis of a separate MiG-29 “drone strap-on” scene cautioned that at least some visuals appeared improvised and raised questions about datalinks, release safety, and guidance logic, which underlines the need to separate concept demonstrations from fieldable tactics.
In April, TASS quoted Filippov unveiling an Arkhangel build that reached about 280 kilometers per hour with an engagement range up to 50 kilometers and interchangeable warheads from roughly 700 grams to 7 kilograms, and noted options for ground launch or use from an aircraft carrier platform. Later claims stepped the peak speed to the 340 to 360 kilometer per hour range, which may reflect multiple airframes or propulsion updates. Until verified by independent testing, these numbers should be treated as program assertions.
Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has repeatedly hit energy and logistics nodes deep inside Russia, including refineries and depots, stretching air-defense coverage and creating a cost-exchange problem for Moscow. In that context, Russia’s development of a low-cost, fast interceptor reflects its need to adapt to persistent Ukrainian drone strikes on logistics and energy nodes. Proof will hinge on whether Arkhangel can consistently detect, overtake, and destroy small ISR aircraft in contested electromagnetic conditions.
Where Arkhangel sits in Russia’s wider counter-UAS architecture is still unsettled. Russian coverage links the family to land-based radar groups and, separately, to Black Sea counter-USV defense concepts, which implies a modular approach rather than a single model. Without transparent procurement data, serial batch identifiers, or unit assignments, it is unclear whether Kursk deployments are pre-series lots, operational testing with limited fielding, or the first wave of broader rollout under Kalashnikov’s memorandum.
The concept echoes Western efforts that emphasize reusable or attritable interceptors guided by networked sensors. Anduril’s Roadrunner is a reusable twin-jet VTOL interceptor that can launch vertically, pursue targets at high subsonic speeds, and return to base if no intercept is required, a design now under U.S. contracts for counter-UAS missions. The U.S. Army and Navy also field Raytheon’s Coyote interceptors with seekers and warheads adapted for small drone defeat, with recent deployments expanding to sea-based launchers. Arkhangel, if mature, would align more with attritable one-way or limited-use interceptors cued by mobile radars than with high-end reusable jets, but the Russian program’s exact guidance, seeker, and recovery modes are not yet documented publicly.
The Kursk and Crimea reports show a real testing effort, paired with Kalashnikov’s intent to scale production across Archangel-branded drones. The air-launch clips show experimentation with range and timeline compression. The unresolved questions are the ones that matter operationally: seeker reliability against small, low-contrast targets, command-link resilience under jamming, positive control to avoid fratricide with friendly air defenses, and the true cost per intercept relative to Ukrainian UAVs.
