Direct proof of use
Tempest SAM was documented in Ukrainian service in January 2026, when Ukrainian Air Command Central-linked footage showed a Hellfire-armed V2X Tempest vehicle firing at night against Russian drones. TWZ identified the system as the U.S.-made V2X Tempest on a high-mobility chassis with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and described the Ukrainian Air Force as the likely operator.
Business Insider reported that Ukraine's Air Command for the central region posted video of the Tempest on January 13, 2026, and quoted an operator with the call sign Shorty saying that his crew had destroyed 21 Shahed drones. Forces News and UNITED24 Media separately reported the same claimed 21-drone tally from Ukrainian-released footage.
Sources: TWZ Tempest Ukraine, Business Insider Tempest Ukraine, Forces News Tempest Shaheds, UNITED24 Tempest Ukraine
Timeline
V2X publicly debuted Tempest at AUSA 2025 in October 2025 as a mobile counter-UAS fires platform built around a rugged commercial vehicle, dual weapon launchers, and Class 2-3 UAS engagement capability. That manufacturer announcement supports the system's configuration, but not its Ukrainian combat use.
The first public identification of Tempest in Ukrainian service followed in January 2026. TWZ reported on January 12 that recent Ukrainian Air Force Command Center footage showed a pair of Hellfire missiles being launched against Russian drones and that the transfer had not been publicly announced. UNITED24 reported on January 13 that Ukrainian Air Force Central Command video credited Tempest with at least 21 Shahed intercepts, while Business Insider reported on January 14 that the video featured a Ukrainian crew operator making the same claim.
Sources: V2X Tempest AUSA 2025, TWZ Tempest Ukraine, UNITED24 Tempest Ukraine, Business Insider Tempest Ukraine
Narrative
In this conflict, Tempest appears as a Ukrainian mobile short-range air-defense and counter-UAS system rather than as a conventional area air-defense battery. Reporting described a compact off-road vehicle carrying a dual launcher and firing Hellfire-class missiles in response to Russian one-way attack drones, especially Shahed/Geran-type targets used in nighttime strike campaigns.
Open reporting separates documented use from unresolved transfer details. The sources identify Ukrainian operation and combat firing, but they do not establish the number delivered, the donor route, or whether the vehicles entered Ukraine before the system's public AUSA 2025 debut. Business Insider also noted that the Ukrainian video did not itself name the missile type, while TWZ identified the missile as AGM-114 Hellfire and assessed the Longbow radar-guided variant as the likely fit.
Sources: TWZ Tempest Ukraine, Business Insider Tempest Ukraine, Forces News Tempest Shaheds, V2X Tempest AUSA 2025
