We're now well into the fourth year of Russia's attempted annexation of Ukraine, to which the Ukrainians said, "Get bent," and have been doing an admirable job of holding that line. Indeed, what many once believed was one of the last great powers, r.e., Russia, has been shown to be a relatively toothless bear, as the Ukrainians have absolutely shocked their counterparts who've been throwing bodies at the war since its inception.
But one of the coolest things to see, if there even is such a thing in wartime where folks are unnecessarily being killed due to long-standing idiotic views within the Russian state, are all the ingenious ways the Ukrainians have mobilized and used modern things to win battles. You've got full-scale drone warfare, cyber warfare, autonomous vehicles, stolen vehicles, and improvised weapons platforms, more commonly known within the space as technicals.
Everything from motorcycles to BMWs has been utilized to its fullest extent. And while I think the 7 Series made famous by the movie The Transporter that went viral a few weeks ago was cool as shit, this Can-Am Maverick X3 Max strapped to the gils with twin Hellfire missile launchers, the same one that's currently in my own garage minus the rockets, is perhaps the coolest of them all.
Someone, please get me in contact with Northrop-Grumman, I need an upgrade.
The Tempest air defense system in service with the Ukrainian Air Force. It has already accounted for 21 downed Russian Shahed drones. https://t.co/3Z36rJ7Yea pic.twitter.com/cIsZFAtqFF
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 13, 2026
First spotted by our friends over at UTV Driver, the strapped to the gills Maverick X3 was actually built by V2X, and debuted late last year at the Association of the United States Army meeting in Washington. At the debut, the firm equipped the Maverick X3 with both a "COTS-based architecture that detects, tracks, and intercepts Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aircraft," i.e., drones, and twin "AGM-114L Longbow missiles," more commonly referred to as the Hellfire.
The total platform itself, however, is called the Tempest, and given the armaments, that's a pretty well-suited name. But it's fascinating that the outfit went from prototype to fully fledged battlefield operations in such a short time, as the Ukrainian V2X Tempest is already knocking stuff out of the sky.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces have reportedly received prototypes of the new U.S.-made Tempest air defense system for testing, per Defense Express. Developed by V2X and unveiled in 2025, Tempest includes mobile and trailer-mounted variants tailored to counter drone threats. pic.twitter.com/nReBbm7ANh
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) January 11, 2026
According to The War Zone, "The Tempest was showcased in a video put out recently by Ukraine’s Air Force Command Center, suggesting that the flying branch is the likely operator. However, the new weapon was neither announced nor identified. The footage shows a pair of Hellfire missiles being launched, purportedly against Russian drones, with tracer rounds also seen climbing into the night sky."
The use of tactical side-by-sides is one that makes a ton of sense in a battlefield as diverse as Ukraine, and is why the U.S. government utilizes Polaris' MRZRs, as these are machines that can get in, get out, and get going over any type of terrain or through any weather, fast and without issue. They're also a heck of a lot cheaper than some of the bespoke military vehicles that has been developed by the Pentagon or DARPA. Why spend a couple million on an MRAP when you can spend $30,000 on a Maverick X3 and strap a couple missiles or .50 cal to the top of it? Not that the federal government is good at reining in its spending, especially when it comes to the military.
But again, the amount of innovation coming out of Ukraine, whether it's supported by folks like V2X or home-grown, is just fascinating to watch. And the use of a Can-Am, whereas the traditional model is Polaris' MRZR, speaks to the need for more vehicles like it on the battlefield. Now, do you think V2X will sell me the Tempest kit for...home security reasons?
