US Deploys Ukraine-Tested Interceptor Drones to Middle East Against Iran

• US Army sent 10,000 AI-enabled Merops interceptor drones, developed in Ukraine, to the Middle East to counter Iranian attacks.
• The deployment aims to repel Iranian strikes without using high-cost missile defenses like Patriot and THAAD, which cost millions per missile.
• Merops drones cost $14,000-$15,000 each, potentially $3,000-$5,000 in larger orders, significantly cheaper than Iran's $20,000+ Shahed drones.
• Project Eagle, backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, developed Merops drones, deployed within five days of the US-Israeli operation against Iran on Feb. 28.
• The US also deployed Bumblebees (quadcopters with explosives) and RTX Corp.'s Coyote interceptor drones, with Bumblebees also tested in Ukraine.