**INSANE experimental weapons are being tested 
in Ukraine right now—**and they’re changing everything. This isn’t just a war zone. It’s a 
battlefield lab, where America and its allies are deploying bleeding-edge tech against 
one of the world’s largest militaries. We’re talking autonomous drones that ignore jamming 
signals, laser cannons frying targets mid-air, next-gen howitzers that can shoot, scoot, and 
vanish in under three minutes, and stealth bombs so advanced, their existence was a secret—until 
now. Some of these weapons were still in testing. Others weren’t even confirmed to exist. Now? 
They’re in the fight. So how do these futuristic systems actually work—and what have they already 
destroyed? Let’s start with one of the most mind-blowing breakthroughs in battlefield recon: 
the Shield AI MQ-35 V-BAT drone. Created by the American aerospace and defense company Shield 
AI, which is based in San Diego, California, V-BAT drones are a very recent innovation. 
They were chosen for prototyping by the U.S. Navy in April 2021 and have since been exported 
around the world to nations like Brazil, India, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The V-BAT is 
a vertical takeoff and landing (or VTOL) drone, which eliminates the need for any kind of 
runway. It features a single-engine ducted fan, which it uses for precise takeoffs and landings, 
and has the ability to instantly switch between hovering and horizontal flight. It measures 
nine feet in length, with a wingspan of 9.7 feet and a Suter TOA 288 two-cylinder engine, 
which gives this drone a maximum speed of 56 miles per hour and an endurance of 10 hours. 
It can also reach heights of up to 20,000 feet, and it weighs in at 125 pounds. But it’s 
in the software, rather than the hardware, that the V-BAT really excels. It’s powered by 
Shield AI’s proprietary “Hivemind” and “ViDAR” technologies. These allow the drones to operate in 
environments where GPS signals and communications may be blocked, jammed, or otherwise minimized, 
possibly due to electronic warfare. Usually, military forces make use of jammers and similar 
devices to disrupt drone communications and effectively render most drones useless, since they 
aren’t able to communicate with their operators, but V-BATs can continue to function and fulfill 
their missions, even when signals are disrupted, thanks to autonomous operations and pre-planned 
flight paths. They also boast AI-powered target recognition and identification, making them 
incredible tools for surveillance and recon missions deep behind enemy lines. And that’s 
exactly how the V-BAT drones have been used in Ukraine, according to reports from the Shield 
AI co-founder, Brandon Tseng. In an interview with Defense One, Tseng explained that several 
V-BATs had been delivered to Ukraine and deployed on scouting missions, with the first batch 
arriving in June 2024. At the time, Tseng noted that there was plenty of doubt about the drones’ 
capabilities: “There were skeptics on the NATO side, on the American side, that were like, ‘You 
know, no one’s passed this testing. All drones fail here; you guys are going to be like everybody 
else.’” However, the V-BATs proved the doubters wrong. In their first mission, these drones showed 
that they could fly in difficult environments, even in close proximity to signal jammers, without 
any disruption: “We flew within 1,000 meters of these jammers. No impact to our aircraft. It was 
wildly successful.” Later that year, in August, Ukraine’s Armed Forces decided to use the V-BATs 
for an essential scouting mission near Dnipro. Up to that point, their own recon drones 
had repeatedly failed to gather any intel, due to Russian jammers in the area. They hoped 
the V-BATs might have more luck. They were right. As Tseng reports: “They launched from about 40 
kilometers from the front, flew 100 kilometers past the front line of troops, and then found 
these SA-11 surface-to-air missiles [on] 11 Buks, targeted them, called in HIMARS airburst rounds.” 
The surface-to-air missiles were destroyed, and it was, in large part, thanks to the scouting 
power and resilience of the V-BAT drones. Unsurprisingly, Ukraine has continued to use them 
for invaluable intel-gathering missions, once more with very impressive results: “They were able to 
collect intelligence that they had never collected before was because they had a long-endurance 
aircraft that was able to watch things for long periods of time.” Tseng went on to explain how 
Ukraine’s existing aircraft and systems could only observe enemy locations for around 10 to 15 
minutes at a time. The V-BATs, however, can hover and scout for upwards of 10 hours. That makes it 
so much easier to gather important intelligence, identify targets, and plan attacks. And that’s so 
important in this ongoing conflict, because the more information Ukraine has about where Russian 
forces are gathering, what weapons they’re using, and where they’re moving the likes of jets, tanks, 
and armored vehicles, the better-prepared it will be to fend off future attacks and pre-empt the 
enemy’s maneuvers. But it’s not only in the field of reconnaissance that Ukraine has benefited from 
some exciting experimental equipment supplied by Western allies. Offensively, too, the Armed 
Forces’ arsenal has been bolstered with the addition of the U.S.-supplied 2-CT 105 millimeter 
Hawkeye Mobile Howitzer System. Despite still being in the testing phase, this cutting-edge 
artillery system was secretly supplied to Ukraine in April 2024. This was revealed 
by AM General Program Director, Mike Evans: “We recently put a 105 (millimeter) system into 
Ukraine. We shipped it in April and trained for two weeks. That system is destined to be one of 
the first soft recoil systems in combat. It’s going into combat to test on live targets.” In 
terms of design and tech specs, the Hawkeye Mobile Howitzer is comprised of an M20 cannon, mounted 
onto a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, otherwise known as a Humvee. It features numerous 
technological advancements, including soft recoil technology, which provides more stable firing and 
exceptional levels of accuracy in every shot. It’s also incredibly fast to deploy, capable of firing 
shots a mere 90 seconds after the vehicle stops, and is highly maneuverable, ready to hit the 
road once more just three minutes after it stops firing. In terms of firing rate, the Hawkeye 
can reach a maximum of eight rounds a minute, or maintain a steady, sustained rate of three 
rounds per minute, as needed. And the M20 cannon can be equipped with any form of 105 millimeter 
ordnance. With standard rounds, it’s able to fire on targets over seven miles away, but it can 
also be fitted with rocket-assisted projectiles, extending its range up to and over 12 miles. 
Additionally, a 155 mm prototype is also being tested, which would boast even more firepower 
and superior range. As for the Humvee itself, the existing system uses an M1152 two-door cargo 
truck, which basically provides a mobile platform for the cannon. It features a 205 horsepower 
engine, antilock brakes, and weighs in at just over 14,000 pounds. All of this means that the 
Hawkeye Mobile Howitzer System is the lightest and most maneuverable self-propelled howitzer on the 
planet today. It would make a rapid, efficient, and effective addition to any military force in 
the world, and is no doubt a valuable tool in the Ukrainian arsenal, being more than a match 
for the kind of 122 mm artillery systems used by the Russians to bombard Ukrainian targets along 
the front lines. As far as real-world usage goes, we know that at least one of these systems has 
been sent to Ukraine and used in combat, though Ukraine’s military has not revealed any specific 
data or reports about how or where it was used. Regardless, its effective mixture of mobility, 
firepower, and efficiency has surely proven useful. The U.S. also benefits from this, too, 
since the Hawkeye system is still being developed and refined. Thanks to its deployment in Ukraine, 
the system’s manufacturers now have valuable real-world data they can use to inform future 
deployments and improvements, which could make the Hawkeye even more of a force to be reckoned 
with in the months and years to come. Alongside the Hawkeye Howitzer, the U.S. has also supplied 
some even heavier firepower, in the form of Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (or JDAM-ER) 
bombs, giving Ukraine’s aerial forces a sizeable offensive upgrade. JDAM bombs are not exactly new. 
The JDAM program has been around for decades. The need for such bombs came about in the wake of 
the Persian Gulf War, when the U.S. Air Force found that its bombing campaigns simply weren’t 
as effective or reliable as they should have been. Too many bombs failed to hit their target, mostly 
due to the difficult conditions like dust, smoke, fog, and cloud cover, making precise strikes 
challenging to carry out. The Air Force, at the time, didn’t have a reliable, effective, 
all-weather precision bomb to utilize. So, in the early ’90s, research and development teams 
got to work on an adverse weather precision-guided munition system. The result of their efforts was 
the JDAM – a guidance kit that converts unguided or so-called dumb bombs into all-weather 
precision-guided munitions. JDAM bombs boast GPS receivers and integrated inertial guidance 
systems, making them dramatically more accurate and capable of hitting targets, regardless of the 
weather or environmental conditions surrounding their deployment. By January 2024, more than half 
a million JDAM kits had been produced, and JDAM bombs have been used across recent decades in 
numerous conflicts, from the War on Terror and the Iraq War to the Syrian Civil War and Yemeni 
Civil War. Additionally, JDAMs have also made appearances in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but 
with a twist. Ukraine’s JDAM bombs are actually JDAM-ER variants, with much greater range than the 
originals. Regular JDAMs have a maximum range of around 15 miles, while JDAM-ERs can hit targets 
up to 50 miles away, thanks to the addition of a special wing kit that makes it possible for the 
bombs to glide and travel greater distances than normal. What’s more, Ukraine’s JDAM-ER bombs have 
been specially adapted to suit Ukrainian aircraft, providing the country’s aerial forces with 
precision strike capabilities. It was first reported in December 2022 that JDAM-ERs were on 
the way to Ukraine as part of a large arms package worth $1.85 billion from the U.S. to help defend 
the country against Russian invaders. To be more precise, the original JDAM-ERs sent to Ukraine 
were 500-pound GBU-62s, and reports from the war have since shown these bombs being used on 
numerous occasions. The first recorded use was reported in April 2023. It occurred in Bakhmut, 
where four 500-pound JDAMs were dropped onto a high-rise building in the Russian-occupied area 
of the city, seemingly by Ukrainian MiG-29s. The building, which could have been used by the 
Russian invaders to store ammo and supplies or as a strategic fighting or observation 
post, was reduced to rubble in an instant, demonstrating the incredible might of these JDAM 
bombs. In August 2024, we got a better look at the bombs in action when a video was shared by the 
official Ukrainian Air Force X account, showing a Ukrainian MiG-29 deploying GBU-62 JDAM-ER bombs 
on a bridge crossing in the Russian Kursk region, thereby blocking a key logistical pathway for 
Russian forces, preventing the passage of tanks and vehicles in that area, until the bridge could 
be repaired or rebuilt. But one of the most recent reports gives this story an even more unexpected 
twist. In February 2025, the Ukrainian Air Force shared footage of a Su-27 Flanker jet dropping two 
JDAM-ER bombs. But these were different. They were not the usual 500-pound variants. Instead, 
the bombs used here were twice as large: 1,000-pound Mark 83 bombs. Up to that point, 
we didn’t even know that 1,000-pound JDAM-ERs existed. Neither the U.S. military nor contractors 
like Boeing had ever mentioned such a bomb, and some experts have suggested that these 
bombs have been made specifically for use in Ukraine. As well as being twice the weight of the 
500-pound variants, the 1,000-pound JDAM-ERs are believed to have about twice as much explosive 
power, capable of dealing colossal damage to any targets in their path. We don’t know how many 
of these bombs Ukraine has at its disposal, but even a small amount could be sufficient to 
strike some major blows in the ongoing conflict, and they bring numerous advantages to the table. 
Firstly, since these are ER or Extended Range bombs, they can hit targets dozens of miles away. 
Thanks to that, Ukraine’s Air Forces have the power to engage high-priority targets at greater 
distances, not having to worry quite as much about navigating difficult enemy airspace or countering 
Russian air defense systems. They can deploy their missiles from safer locations and let the JDAM 
guidance system do the rest. The second big benefit is the amount of destructive power packed 
into each 1,000-pound warhead. Bombs of that size can take out not just enemy buildings, but bases, 
bridges, infrastructure, enemy air defenses, armored vehicles, production facilities, and 
more. The range of viable targets is so much bigger when working with bombs of that size, as 
compared to the smaller 500-pound units. In brief, 1,000-pound JDAM-ERs massively strengthen the 
Ukrainian Air Force. And now that Russia knows about them, it may have to take defensive actions, 
which could include moving valuable or important pieces of military equipment deeper into its 
own territory and away from the front lines, which could give Ukraine a bit more breathing room 
and perhaps even the opportunity to push on and regain lost ground. However, Ukraine is not just 
relying on its allies to supply experimental or groundbreaking weapons and technologies. Even 
while dealing with near-constant bombardment across the length and breadth of its land, and 
fending off wave after wave of Russian attacks, the country is still managing to invest in 
military research, development, and innovation, creating some impressive experimental weaponry 
of its own, including futuristic laser weapons, representing the next big leap forward in 
modern military technology. To be more precise, Ukraine has developed and deployed its own air 
defense laser system, known as the Tryzub system, which is capable of combating all sorts of aerial 
threats, including drones, helicopters, aircraft, and cruise missiles fired by Russian forces. 
Ukraine first confirmed the creation of this system in late 2024, with Colonel Vadym 
Sukharevskyi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, stating: “We can confirm 
that Ukraine is, if I’m not mistaken, the fifth country to possess such a laser.” 
Little is known about how it was made or by, though the system’s name – Tryzub (TREE-zoob) – 
has strong connotations to the “Trident” national symbol of Ukraine, suggesting that it was a 
domestic innovation. Not long after announcing the system, Ukraine showed it off for the very 
first time at the European Defense Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian 
Defense Industry conference, which took place in early 2025. Various video clips showed the laser 
in action, and numerous statistics were provided, revealing in-depth details about its potential 
and technical capabilities. Here’s what we know. The Tryzub system is capable of engaging aerial 
targets, like aircraft and drones, at a range of over three miles. It can also engage cruise 
and ballistic missiles at a shorter range of around 1.86 miles, or three kilometers. Tryzub can 
also blind or disorient enemy drones and aircraft at distances of over six miles. The video clips 
backed up these claims, showing how the system’s operator can use a joystick to guide the lasers 
and lock onto targets, and how its “blinding” mode can be used to counter FPV drones, putting 
their optics out of action, which would make it much more difficult, or almost impossible, for 
such drones to successfully strike their targets. Commenting on the system, Colonel Sukharevskyi 
stated: “I am supporting this project so that with the help of technological solutions, we can 
effectively shoot down enemy reconnaissance drones and ensure the defense of strategic facilities and 
places of residence of our population.” We still have few details about the system’s developments, 
full power, and exactly how it operates, but the footage and information shared thus far 
are all very promising. If Tryzub can live up to its potential, it could completely change 
the state of play in the war and future wars, as well. It would allow Ukrainian Armed Forces to 
quite literally blast enemy aircraft, missiles, and drones right out of the sky instantaneously, 
using nothing but precise, intense laser blasts. And this system isn’t just in the testing or 
development phase. It’s actually in use in the battlefields of Ukraine today, with Sukharevskyi 
confirming: “I repeat – laser technologies are already striking objects at a certain height.” 
This is so important, particularly at this stage of the war, as Russia’s aerial threats have truly 
taken a toll on Ukraine’s forces and defenses in recent times. In the early stages of the war, much 
of the combat was ground-based and conventional, involving tanks, troops, armored vehicles, and 
trenches. But over the years, the Russian strategy has massively shifted, with an increasingly heavy 
focus on drones and missile strikes. Indeed, in 2024 alone, Ukraine had to cope with close 
to 14,000 drone strikes, which was a massive increase over the previous years, including 2023, 
which had approximately 4,700 attacks, while 2022 saw just 2,600. The increasing prevalence 
of buzzing drones in Ukrainian airspace, seeking out their targets with pinpoint precision 
and extraordinary destructive force, has made life far harder for soldiers on the front lines, 
as well as civilians and those stationed further inland. The drones can travel hundreds of miles 
to find their targets, with Russian operators safe and sound in fortified locations, far from the 
front. Ukraine has ways to repel drone attacks, including missiles and air defense systems, but 
it needs more options and more efficient ways to take them down, at a time when around 70% of 
all Ukrainian deaths and injuries are caused by drone attacks. The Tryzub system could be that 
game-changing force that Ukraine has long hoped for, the weapon it needs to strike back, blinding, 
disorienting, and sending swarms of drones falling from the skies. Whether or not it’s able to do 
all of that to a sufficient standard remains to be seen, and we await more details on this and 
Ukraine’s other innovative, experimental military hardware with great interest. What are your 
views? Which of these incredible experimental weapons do you think will impact the war the 
most? Share your thoughts in the comments.