1/ Defense contractors spend billions of dollars and years building anti-drone systems.
A Ukrainian startup went from founding to combat success in 7 months.
The difference?
They stopped trying to build silver bullets. Here's what they did instead 🧵⤵️
A Ukrainian startup went from founding to combat success in 7 months.
The difference?
They stopped trying to build silver bullets. Here's what they did instead 🧵⤵️
2/ Meet MaXon Systems:
Founded in January, hunting Russo-Iranian Shahed drones by August.
They just proved their system works in combat—and raised $300K to scale it.
This 7-month-old startup knows what billion-dollar defense contractors don't.
cc: @FedorovMykhailo⤵️
Founded in January, hunting Russo-Iranian Shahed drones by August.
They just proved their system works in combat—and raised $300K to scale it.
This 7-month-old startup knows what billion-dollar defense contractors don't.
cc: @FedorovMykhailo⤵️
3/ First lesson: One perfect system takes forever to build.
So MaXon didn't build one system. They solved five smaller problems ⤵️
So MaXon didn't build one system. They solved five smaller problems ⤵️
4/ The five problems + solutions:
⦿ Spotting Shaheds → thermal cameras: 16km range
⦿ Chasing them → drones at 300km/h
⦿ Staying airborne → balloon platforms
⦿ Targeting → custom algorithms
⦿ Destroying → specialized warhead
Five simple solutions > one complex one ⤵️
⦿ Spotting Shaheds → thermal cameras: 16km range
⦿ Chasing them → drones at 300km/h
⦿ Staying airborne → balloon platforms
⦿ Targeting → custom algorithms
⦿ Destroying → specialized warhead
Five simple solutions > one complex one ⤵️
5/ Second lesson: Ship speed, not perfection.
Defense contractors spend 10 years perfecting systems.
MaXon went from founding to combat in 7 months.
"Breakneck R&D pace" their founder calls it.
Because killer Russian drones don't wait for your perfect solution ⤵️
Defense contractors spend 10 years perfecting systems.
MaXon went from founding to combat in 7 months.
"Breakneck R&D pace" their founder calls it.
Because killer Russian drones don't wait for your perfect solution ⤵️
6/ Third lesson: Orchestrate, don't originate.
MaXon built almost nothing from scratch:
⦿ Borrowed Aerobavovna's balloons
⦿ Used Oko Camera's thermals
⦿ Partnered for munitions
Their innovation? The brain that makes 90% Ukrainian components hunt as one ⤵️
MaXon built almost nothing from scratch:
⦿ Borrowed Aerobavovna's balloons
⦿ Used Oko Camera's thermals
⦿ Partnered for munitions
Their innovation? The brain that makes 90% Ukrainian components hunt as one ⤵️
7/ Fourth lesson: Make the math work or go home.
Shahed drone: $20,000
MaXon intercept: $3,500
MaXon's claim: 20-25 units protecting all of Kyiv.
That's the economics that changes everything ⤵️
Shahed drone: $20,000
MaXon intercept: $3,500
MaXon's claim: 20-25 units protecting all of Kyiv.
That's the economics that changes everything ⤵️
8/ Fifth lesson: Build for next year's threat, not last year's.
Current Shaheds fly 180 km/h.
MaXon intercepts at 300 km/h.
They are already developing counters for jet-powered Shahed variants.
The threat evolves. Your thinking must evolve faster. ⤵️
Current Shaheds fly 180 km/h.
MaXon intercepts at 300 km/h.
They are already developing counters for jet-powered Shahed variants.
The threat evolves. Your thinking must evolve faster. ⤵️
9/ So if you're a free nation worried about the drone threat, and tired of bloated defense contracts, you might wanna pay attention to Ukraine!
Read the story here from @DefenderMediaUA: thedefender.media/en/2025/08/max…
Read the story here from @DefenderMediaUA: thedefender.media/en/2025/08/max…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
