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.
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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