The largest drone war in history has produced an unexpected champion: the Gepard, a German self-propelled 35 mm cannon that entered service in 1976. Ukrainian military experts have identified the aging platform as the most effective weapon against Shahed-type drones, with each engagement costing only a few thousand dollars.
This low-cost legacy system's success highlights a stark contrast with Gulf states' procurement strategies, which often favor high-end platforms like the F-35. The Gepard's performance suggests that for drone defense, mature, proven technology may offer better value than cutting-edge but expensive alternatives that are not optimized for the threat.
Ukrainian forces have relied on the Gepard's high rate of fire and radar-guided accuracy to intercept low-cost drones. The system's affordability per kill — compared to multimillion-dollar missiles — makes it sustainable for prolonged attritional warfare, a key consideration for any nation facing drone swarms.
The conflict has also spawned improvisation, including a counter-drone drone armed with a sharpened prong that lances its target — described as a 12th-century solution to a 21st-century problem. While novel, such ad hoc measures underscore the urgent need for scalable, cost-effective counter-drone technology.
Analysts caution that the Gepard's performance may not translate directly to other theaters with different drone types or electronic warfare environments. Its success in Ukraine, however, raises questions about whether Gulf nations should prioritize simpler, proven systems alongside their high-tech purchases.