\u2014 Everyone is praising Ukrainian air defense as one of the most effective in the world. Even General Steven Whiting from US Space Command told the Senate it is \u201cout of this world.\u201d As an expert, could you explain what makes it so special?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 The key factor is coordination. Ukraine has finally achieved a coordinated picture of what is happening in the airspace. Coordination is the central element.<\/p>\n
It involves people at all levels knowing exactly what they need to do. The system is layered: guns, short-range anti-drone systems, and longer-range missiles all work together. The air force has managed to integrate everything into one coherent system, and it is working well.<\/p>\n
Of course, it is not perfect. It does not stop everything, as we saw recently in Lviv. But even those incidents help them improve an already highly effective system.<\/p>\n
\u2014 There is no absolute protection, but interception rates near 95% are impressive. At the same time, some countries still use expensive missiles against cheap drones like Shahed. Why is there such a difference in approach?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 It is a complex issue.<\/p>\n
First, at the political level, many leaders believe it will not happen to them. Without political urgency, nothing changes.<\/p>\n
Second, ministries of defense are often locked into long-term planning cycles \u2014 five- or ten-year plans. They are reluctant to change because those systems are stable and predictable.<\/p>\n
Third, militaries often lack real experience with drone warfare. Many countries simply have not faced this threat before, so they did not adapt in advance.<\/p>\n
\u2014 However, once they are hit \u2014 like what happened in Kuwait \u2014 they will move quickly. Long-term plans will be abandoned, and resources will be reallocated. This is war, and adaptation becomes unavoidable.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ukraine has combined Soviet-era systems with Western technologies like Patriot, NASAMS, electronic warfare, interceptor drones, and even machine guns into one system. Does this pragmatic approach actually work?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Yes, it works, and one major reason is Ukraine\u2019s engineering culture.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has a very strong base of engineers and a mindset geared toward solving problems creatively. This allows rapid adaptation and integration of different systems.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I would add that Iran has a similar engineering mindset, which explains why it can sustain its capabilities as well.<\/p>\n
In contrast, some countries rely heavily on expensive solutions and are slower to adapt. Only now are they starting to question whether using costly missiles against cheap drones is sustainable.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ukrainian units often operate manually, constantly relocating and acting quickly \u2014 almost like \u201cmove like a butterfly, sting like a bee.\u201d Is this different from NATO doctrine?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 No, it is not different.<\/p>\n
NATO doctrine has always emphasized mobility. During the Cold War, units moved constantly to avoid being targeted. I personally experienced this \u2014 we relocated frequently, sometimes every night.<\/p>\n
The doctrine exists, but applying it requires leadership and mindset. Commanders must be willing to leave comfort, relocate, and operate under more difficult conditions to survive and succeed.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Is this mindset already present among NATO commanders?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Not fully. Over time, many Western militaries became used to controlled environments like Iraq and Afghanistan, where the enemy lacked drones and air capabilities. That created a false sense of security.<\/p>\n
Now the threat environment has changed. Air threats exist at multiple levels, and adaptation is required \u2014 but it is still happening too slowly.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ukrainian officers are now training foreign militaries. What can they teach experienced armies?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Commanders and soldiers are willing to learn, but they often need direct experience or firsthand instruction.<\/p>\n
The main obstacle is not willingness \u2014 it is bureaucracy, lack of authority, and resistance to change.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, if political will exists, change can happen quickly. Without it, adaptation remains slow.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 There seems to be a gap between political rhetoric and real military needs. For example, how do you see leadership figures influencing military understanding?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Political leaders are not the embodiment of the military.<\/p>\n
Professional military capability comes from trained units, not political figures. In some cases, political leaders may lack understanding of military realities.<\/p>\n
However, military professionals are actively studying Ukraine\u2019s experience and incorporating lessons where possible.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So Western militaries are learning from Ukraine?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Absolutely. Military officers are gathering as much information as possible from Ukraine and applying it to their own forces. The same is happening in the UK and other European countries.<\/p>\n
The real challenge is political approval and funding. Without reallocating budgets, meaningful change cannot occur.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What are the key lessons the West should learn from Ukraine\u2019s air defense?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 The most important lesson is that air threats are now multi-layered.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, air dominance focused on aircraft and helicopters. Now, drones have added a completely new layer at low altitude.<\/p>\n
This means air defense must also be multi-layered.<\/p>\n
Many countries have neglected this. For example, some have significantly reduced ground-based air defense capabilities over the past decades and now need to rebuild them.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Will this change NATO\u2019s strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 It must. Countries need to rethink how they defend against drones at all levels \u2014 from small FPV drones to systems like Shahed.<\/p>\n
They also need to rethink how they use expensive equipment like tanks and armored vehicles. Without adaptation, these assets become highly vulnerable to drone attacks.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So the battlefield has fundamentally changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Yes. The main lesson is simple: countries must start looking up, not just at ground threats. The air domain is now decisive, and failure to adapt will lead to heavy losses.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1iPJKxkAUuo&t=2s\n<\/div><\/figure>\n
Read also:<\/strong> Ukrainian Books That Outlived Empires<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ukrainian Air Defense is no longer just holding the line \u2013 it …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1250329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[76,78],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1337307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications-en","tag-glavnoe-en","tag-homepage-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ukrainian Air Defense is no longer just holding the line \u2013 it ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Freedom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1-820x473.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"820\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"473\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Danylo Shportilo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Danylo Shportilo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Danylo Shportilo\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2\"},\"headline\":\"Ukraine Built the World’s Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\"},\"wordCount\":1034,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0435\",\"\u041d\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0443\u044e (\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0439\u0434\u0435\u0440)\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Publications\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\",\"name\":\"Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg\",\"width\":1300,\"height\":750,\"caption\":\"Glen Grant. Screenshot: uatv.ua\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ukraine Built the World’s Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Freedom\",\"description\":\"UATV - UA|TV - International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2\",\"name\":\"Danylo Shportilo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Danylo Shportilo\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/author\/d-shportilo\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom","og_description":"Ukrainian Air Defense is no longer just holding the line \u2013 it ...","og_url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/","og_site_name":"Freedom","article_published_time":"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":820,"height":473,"url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1-820x473.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Danylo Shportilo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Danylo Shportilo","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/"},"author":{"name":"Danylo Shportilo","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2"},"headline":"Ukraine Built the World’s Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant","datePublished":"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/"},"wordCount":1034,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg","keywords":["\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0435","\u041d\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0443\u044e (\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0439\u0434\u0435\u0440)"],"articleSection":["Publications"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/","url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/","name":"Ukraine Built the World's Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant - Freedom","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-29T09:27:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-29T09:27:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/expert-1300x750-1.jpg","width":1300,"height":750,"caption":"Glen Grant. Screenshot: uatv.ua"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/ukraine-built-the-world-s-best-air-defense-interview-with-glen-grant\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ukraine Built the World’s Best Air Defense \u2013 Interview with Glen Grant"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/","name":"Freedom","description":"UATV - UA|TV - International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2","name":"Danylo Shportilo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfea04f04995a5257694c4ef7149b332b4103ac47f1c95f912cddd7a1e2ef4e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Danylo Shportilo"},"url":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/author\/d-shportilo\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1337307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1337307"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1337307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1337308,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1337307\/revisions\/1337308"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1250329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1337307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1337307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1337307"},{"taxonomy":"sources","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sources?post=1337307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}