AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File
- Ukraine claimed its first successful use of a 'FrankenSAM' air-defense system on Wednesday.
- Oleksandr Kamyshin, a minister, said Ukraine used one to shoot down a Russian drone.
- The hybrid systems aim to make older weapons capable of working with modern US-supplied ammo.
Ukraine shot down a Russian "suicide" drone on Wednesday, in a first for its hybrid air-defense systems known as "FrankenSAMs," an official said.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, announced the hit at a side event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne.
The Shahed drone was taken down at a distance of five and a half miles, Kamyshin said, per the outlet.
The "FrankenSAM" project — referring to a combination of Frankenstein's monster and the acronym for surface-to-air missiles — was first reported in October, and is a collaboration between the Pentagon and Ukraine.
The systems vary, but can include converting Soviet-era Buk M1 antiaircraft systems to fire US-supplied RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles.
Other variations include combining AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles with Soviet-era radars, and using Patriot missiles with older Ukrainian radar systems, as The New York Times reported.
In early December, the Pentagon announced technical assistance "to start local production of some of the FrankenSAM projects."
Later that month Kamyshin announced that "FrankenSAM" systems were already in use on the front lines.
However, Wednesday's announcement was the first claimed success of such a system.
Kamyshin did not mention what type of weapon was used in the strike, which Business Insider could not independently verify.
The Pentagon said its technical cooperation "will allow for faster fielding and enable Ukraine to contribute significantly to the sustainment of its air defense systems."
This is an urgent concern for Ukraine.
Inexpensive exploding drones have been central to Russia's strategy of bombarding key Ukrainian infrastructure, often forcing Ukraine to counter with more costly air defenses.
The World Economic Forum has provided a platform for Ukraine to continue to make its appeal for allied support, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying on Wednesday that he owes "a big shoutout" to the makers of the Patriot missile, as Business Insider's Erin Snodgrass reported.