KYIV — Terra Drone, a Japanese company that has entered the defense equipment market, announced in April the operational deployment of its Terra A1 interceptor drone, developed in partnership with Ukrainian drone builder Amazing Drones. At the end of April, the company confirmed the first successful combat interception of a long-range unmanned aerial threat by the Terra A1.
The Terra A1 is a high-mobility interceptor drone that accelerates to 200 km/h within 10 seconds after launch, has a maximum speed of 302 km/h, and an operational range of up to 32 km. Terra Drone CEO Toru Tokushige said: "One of our A1 drones has already successfully intercepted a ‘Shahed.’ This is critical because in the military field, what matters most is not certifications but proven performance in combat. Without that, it is impossible to sell." Shahed drones are unmanned combat aerial vehicles designed by Iran’s Shahed Aviation Industries and manufactured in both Iran and Russia, with the Russian version having been upgraded.
Tokushige emphasized the importance of real-world testing, stating: "Right now, the most important thing is real combat deployment. That is what we are working on." He added that Ukraine’s wartime innovation offers valuable lessons: "If you build a large factory in the normal way, it becomes a target. Ukrainian engineers already have know-how – how to decentralize production and operate under constant threat. We are learning from that." Terra Drone favors distributed small-scale production to reduce the risk of casualties among Japanese engineers and production specialists planned for deployment to Ukraine.
On April 28 in Kyiv, Tokushige outlined the strategic rationale for the partnership, saying: "Ukraine has its advantages: speed of development and low cost. But there are also challenges – lack of experience in mass production and operating in global markets, as well as shortages of key technologies. Many processes are still manual, which complicates scaling, especially beyond the country. That’s why the development of autonomous systems is critically important, and that is exactly what is expected from us."
Terra Drone is expanding its capabilities beyond the A1. The company deployed the Terra A2 drone in May, which uses fixed-wing technology developed with Ukrainian defense firm WinnyLab—into which Terra Drone made a second strategic investment in April. Tokushige explained the layered defense approach: "It is impossible to defend using just one type of system. You need multiple layers – short, medium, and long range, with different speeds. Our A1 is one layer, and the new A2 is the middle layer. Another type is also under development."
Russia’s Ministry of Defense responded to European drone aid and joint production efforts by calling them a "step towards escalation." In a Telegram post, the ministry stated: "We consider this decision to be a deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military and political situation on the entire European continent and creeping transformation of these countries into a strategic rear for Ukraine." It also published a list of European drone manufacturers and their addresses.