What is the AS3 'Surveyor' and how much does it cost?

The AS3 'Surveyor' is a US-made fixed-wing interceptor drone that reaches up to 282 km/h. It is the core component of the American Merops counter-UAS system. Current unit price is approximately $14,000, with costs expected to drop to $3,000–$5,000 as production scales up.

What is Ukraine's STING drone?

The STING is a high-speed FPV interceptor drone developed by Ukrainian firm Wild Hornets. It reaches 315 km/h, has an intercept range of up to 25 km, and costs around $2,500 per unit. It is designed specifically to engage Shahed/Geran-type loitering munitions at close range.

Why is intercepting a Geran-2 drone still difficult despite speed advantages?

Although both the AS3 and STING fly significantly faster than the Geran-2's 150–185 km/h cruise speed, achieving a direct hit on a small, fast-moving aerial target in real combat conditions remains highly challenging. The leaked footage showed the AS3 closing in but ultimately missing the target.

Video Reveals US-Made AS3 'Surveyor' and Ukrainian STING Drone Team Up to Intercept Russian Geran UAV

Newly leaked footage documents a joint intercept attempt against a Russian Geran-series drone using two different interceptor UAVs. The US-made AS3 'Surveyor', part of the American Merops counter-UAS system, closed in on the target but failed to make contact. The footage itself was captured by the STING, a high-speed FPV interceptor developed by Ukrainian firm Wild Hornets. The AS3 reaches up to 282 km/h and is priced at approximately $14,000 per unit.

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Highlights

The US-made AS3 'Surveyor', part of the Merops counter-UAS system, reaches 282 km/h and is currently priced at approximately $14,000 per unit.

Ukraine's Wild Hornets STING FPV interceptor — priced at $2,500 — captured the footage while participating in the same intercept operation.

The joint intercept attempt against a Russian Geran-2 drone failed, with the AS3 closing in but missing the target.

The US deployed thousands of Merops interceptors to the Middle East in 2026 to counter Iranian one-way attack drones.

Russia's Geran-2 cruises at 150–185 km/h, slower than both interceptors, yet real-world precision interception remains a significant technical challenge.

Video Reveals US-Made AS3 'Surveyor' and Ukrainian STING Drone Team Up to Intercept Russian Geran UAV

Recently leaked footage has documented an intercept operation targeting a Russian Geran-series drone, involving two distinct interceptor UAVs. Despite the combined effort, the mission ultimately did not succeed.

US-Made AS3 'Surveyor' Interceptor

In the footage, the American-built AS3 'Surveyor' interceptor is seen closing in on its target before failing to make effective contact. The AS3 is the centerpiece of the US-developed Merops counter-UAS system.

AS3 Key Specifications:

Airframe: Approximately 3 feet (0.9 m) in length; fixed-wing propeller design
Top Speed: 175 mph (282 km/h)
Control Modes: Manual or autonomous flight
Target Tracking: Onboard sensors combined with AI-assisted tracking
Kill Method: Direct impact, or optionally equipped with a small warhead

The AS3 Surveyor has recently entered active deployment with US forces. In 2026, the United States deployed thousands of Merops interceptors to the Middle East to counter Iranian one-way attack drones. According to Bloomberg, the current unit price stands at approximately $14,000, with costs projected to fall to $3,000–$5,000 as production scales up.

Operating the Merops system requires a four-person crew — a commander, a pilot, and two technicians — with a training period of roughly two weeks.

Ukrainian STING High-Speed FPV Interceptor

The footage itself was captured by the STING interceptor drone, developed by Ukrainian company Wild Hornets. The STING is a high-speed FPV UAV purpose-built for close-range aerial interception, targeting Shahed/Geran-class loitering munitions.

STING Key Specifications:

Top Speed: 315 km/h (196 mph)
Maximum Intercept Range: 25 km
Unit Production Cost: Approximately $2,500

Russian Geran-2 Performance Comparison

The Russian Geran-2 — a domestic copy of the Iranian Shahed-136 — cruises at approximately 150–185 km/h, well below the top speeds of both interceptors. While this gap theoretically makes interception feasible, the footage underscores that achieving a precise hit in real-world conditions remains a significant technical challenge.

The video highlights the growing complexity of modern counter-drone warfare: even when interceptors hold a clear speed advantage, reliably destroying a small, fast-moving target in flight continues to test the limits of current technology.

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