BlueBird Tech's Chipa net launcher, originally designed for civilians near Ukraine's front line, caught a drone in National Guard training, The Kyiv Independent reported, though a caught drone can still explode.
The Ukrainian company lists the single-use launcher for 3,240 hryvnias. BlueBird Tech says its net opens to 3 by 3 meters and advertises a range of up to 25 meters. Eduard, a company engineer identified only by his first name for security reasons, told The Kyiv Independent that 10 to 20 meters is its most effective range, depending on wind and drone speed.
During an Oct. 20 exercise, members of the Ukrainian National Guard's Omega unit monitored a handheld detector as they rehearsed an encounter with a first-person-view (FPV) drone, the outlet reported. After they spotted it, a soldier using the call sign Poliak fired Chipa. The net caught the drone's propellers.
The Kyiv Independent reported that Chipa was initially intended for civilians in areas near the front, where drone attacks have reached roads and neighborhoods. Eduard said civilians can buy the launcher without a firearms permit because it is classified as a non-firearm.
Poliak told The Kyiv Independent that some drones had exploded during earlier interceptions, putting nearby soldiers at risk from blasts and flying fragments. He said his unit carries net launchers alongside shotguns, which he prefers at greater distances. At close range, he said, the net's wider spread offers a better chance of stopping a drone.
