Ukrainian startup secures Japanese partner for interceptor drone

Amazing Drones, a Ukrainian defence startup, has secured a strategic investment from a Japanese drone provider to jointly develop a new interceptor drone. 

In an announcement on 31 March, Tokyo-based Terra Drone said the two companies will work on producing the ‘Terra A1’ interceptor drone, while establishing infrastructure for “mass production”.  

Terra A1 is positioned as a cost-effective solution for countering aerial threats, addressing a growing demand among militaries for lower-cost, mass produced interceptors to avoid over-expending expensive missile stockpiles. According to Terra Drone, the interceptor has a range of 32km and a top speed of 300km/h, exceeding the estimated 200km/h speed of Iran-designed ‘Shahed’ UAVs. 

Battlefield expertise 

Based in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Amazing Drones was founded in 2023 by a team of engineers and military veterans. The company specialises in the development and production of ‘Hummel’ quadcopters. 

Amazing Drones is among a growing cohort of Ukrainian companies within the Brave1 Ukrainian defence cluster, attracting international defence interest for their cost-efficient designs. 

Maksym Klymenko, CEO of Amazing Drones, framed the new partnership as a crucial step in the company’s evolution.

Future scaling 

Terra Drone announced its entry into the defence market on 23 March, saying it aims to help build a “sustainable, next-generation defence foundation” by applying its expertise in autonomous systems.  

The Japanese company said in future it plans to offer a range of unmanned platforms, including interceptor drones, FPV drones, reconnaissance systems, and uncrewed surface vessels.