KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's 302nd Air Defense Missile Brigade has officially unveiled a mobile version of the STASH short-range air defense system, marking the first formal public presentation of the platform by the Ukrainian military.
The system was shown in an official video released by the brigade. In its latest configuration, the launcher is mounted on a Dutch-made DAF YA 4442 military transport truck, replacing earlier trailer-mounted and pickup truck versions that had only appeared in unofficial footage and open-source reports.
STASH is built around the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire, an American-made missile originally developed as an air-to-ground weapon for helicopters and aircraft to destroy tanks and armored vehicles. Unlike laser-guided Hellfire variants, the AGM-114L uses a millimeter-wave active radar seeker, allowing it to operate in fire-and-forget mode by locking onto targets after launch without requiring continuous guidance.
The launcher carries up to four Hellfire missiles and is paired with RADA's Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed to detect and track low-signature aerial targets such as small drones.
The system is intended primarily to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including Shahed and Geran-type attack drones. With an engagement range of approximately 8 to 11 kilometers and a flight speed of about Mach 1.3 (roughly 425 meters per second), STASH falls into the short-range air defense (SHORAD) category. It is designed for defending specific sites against slow-moving drones and is not intended to intercept faster threats such as cruise missiles or ballistic missiles.
STASH shares its core missile and radar components with the Tempest counter-drone system developed by the American company V2X, which has reportedly been used by Ukrainian forces since early 2026. However, STASH uses a simpler truck- or trailer-mounted configuration that is better suited for protecting fixed locations while reducing complexity and maintenance requirements.
The move to the DAF YA 4442 platform indicates Ukraine's efforts to standardize the system on a more practical and mobile chassis. Using a common military truck allows faster deployment, easier relocation, and simpler logistics while expanding short-range air defense coverage.
The STASH system forms part of Ukraine's layered air defense network, providing localized protection against low-altitude drone threats while allowing higher-end air defense systems to remain available for more advanced aerial targets.
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