Ukraine's 'FrankenSAM' Air Defense System Records First Successful Strike

The hybrid system, a collaboration between Ukraine and the Pentagon, shot down a Russian drone, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

Ukraine's hybrid air-defense systems, known as 'FrankenSAMs', shot down a Russian 'suicide' drone, marking the first successful use of these systems.
The FrankenSAMs are a combination of Ukraine's old Soviet-era equipment and Western-supplied missiles, including American RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and Patriot missiles.
The FrankenSAM project is a collaboration between the Pentagon and Ukraine, aimed at enabling Ukraine to counter Russia's strategy of bombarding key Ukrainian infrastructure with inexpensive exploding drones.
The FrankenSAM systems were first reported in October and were already in use on the front lines by December, according to Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin.
The Pentagon's technical cooperation with Ukraine is aimed at allowing for faster fielding of these systems and enabling Ukraine to significantly contribute to the sustainment of its air defense systems.