In December of 2024, during a meeting between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, a new drone was unveiled which represented a new era of collaboration between Ukrainian tech-defence companies and the Western European industry. Within a matter of months, the SETH drone would be operational in Ukraine, proving itself a formidable tool on the battlefield.

The SETH is an automated attack drone, used to target armoured vehicles, artillery, or infantry. It employs an advanced AI system for guidance and trajectory meaning it does not require a pilot. This is a huge advantage on the battlefield, enabling strikes without the need for greater manpower or detailed training. The SETH drone also contains an internal protective technological system, meaning it can operate easily in hostile environments, and is relatively immune to signal jamming.

The SETH drone has been compared to the Iranian made ‘Shahed’ drone, which the Russian military has been using since the initial invasion in 2022. However, characterising the SETH as the ‘Ukrainian Shahed’ would be missing its unique capabilities and features, developed Ukrainian tech-defence companies.

Firstly, the intended use of the SETH drone is different to that of the Shahed. While the Shahed makes use of combustion to propel itself, the SETH uses an electric motor, meaning its range is significantly lower. This lower range (between 50-100km), makes it a tool for tactical and precise strikes as opposed to those carried out by the Shahed over a longer distance. Although the electric motor lowers the range, it does enable stealth by lowering the drone’s thermal signature, thus making it harder to track.

Another advantage of the SETH drone over the Shahed is its smaller physical size. The SETH measures 1.5m in length, compared to the Shahed which measures 3.75m. This difference in size leads to a completely different style of application in practice. The SETH is small and lightweight, enough to be carried by an individual, allowing for greater manoeuvrability on the battlefield. The SETH can also be launched by catapult, as opposed to the complex launch system which the Shahed employs (typically fired in groups from a launch rack). The SETH exists somewhere in-between the more technologically advanced UAVs, such as the Shahed, and the more simple quadcopters, taking the advantages of both and combining them into one sleek and effective package. 

Finally, a key aspect of the significance of the SETH drone is what it represents in terms of the defence-tech industry in Ukraine, and Europe more broadly. The SETH was developed by Ukrainian designers and manufacturers, and as with a growing number of other Ukrainian projects, was produced in collaboration with German technology companies. As demonstrated by the interest shown by Chancellor Scholz, the Ukrainian defence-tech expertise has served to strengthen the bond between Ukraine and Western Europe. 

Overall, the SETH can be seen as both symbolic of Ukrainian drone and technological superiority, and the growing ties between Ukraine and Western Europe. As a relatively new feature of Ukrainian military capability, the long term impact that the SETH will have on the battlefield is still to be seen. However, demonstrations of its ability by the Azov Brigade suggest that it is a formidable weapon.