Ukraine’s Soviet-era ‘Shahed hunter’ turboprop plane is launching interceptor drones from the sky

• Ukraine is using an old turboprop aircraft to shoot down Shahed drones in flight.

• Now it is launching interceptor drones from the plane, turning it into an air carrier.

• Videos show multiple interceptors being launched into battle from under the wings of an Antonov An-28.

Ukrainian troops used Antonov An-28 turboprop aircraft for the launch several interceptor aircraft In combat, he transforms the civilian aircraft into an airborne carrier for the quadcopters that kill Shahed.

Ukrainian pilot Timur Fatkullin published images of UAVs launched from under the wings of the An-28 on social media.

“You could call it a cheap air-to-air missile. For us, it’s also a step toward technology that will allow unmanned aerial vehicles to operate in zero visibility,” Fatkullin wrote in the headline of Thursday’s post.

In the videos, multiple P1-Sun interceptors developed by the Ukrainian company Skyfall can be seen being launched separately from the An-28’s wings. Each of them is seen pursuing and destroying a Shahed.

Fatkullin’s montage included a short clip. USA made Merops system Firing of the AS-3 Surveyor, a winged interceptor drone, from the An-28 during a training mission.

Wild Hornets, another Ukrainian drone manufacturer, also said its Sting interceptor drone was recently launched from an An-28 during a combat mission and released footage of the daytime launch. Earlier this week, worldwide first preventive combat launch from an uncrewed surface ship.

The An-28’s modified configuration features pylons under the wings, allowing the aircraft to carry at least three interceptors per wing.

The light transport turboprop aircraft, which first flew in 1968, is fast emerging as one of Ukraine’s low-cost solutions to Russia’s frequent waves of Shahed attack aircraft. Ukrainian An-28 crews would often use the aircraft to position themselves next to a flying Shahed and fire from the side door with a machine gun to destroy ammunition floating around.

Killing dozens of drones with this tactic gave the An-28, originally designed as a transport or passenger aircraft, a new reputation in Ukraine as the colloquial “Shahed hunter.”

As a platform for interceptor drones, it offers other advantages that could further expand Ukraine’s cheaper air defenses.

First, the airborne platform allows the interceptor team to maneuver more quickly into Shahed range; A typical Ukrainian crew, including the drone pilot and radar operator, travels by cars or trucks to reach the threat or a designated area of ​​responsibility. The plane is also designed for short takeoffs and landings, meaning it doesn’t need a conventional runway.

Meanwhile, the An-28 can cruise at around 208 mph; This would allow an interceptor drone to be launched at a higher speed if both aircraft were flying in the same direction, making it easier for the drone to catch a Shahed.

some of Ukraine fastest interceptor drones Can fly over 200 mph, Department of Defense says Small drones broke records In December, the speed was 248.5 mph.

Local companies continue to increase the speed of these small drones, but their most common designs, which generally rely on four propellers and a teardrop-shaped aerodynamic frame, have theoretical limits.

The push to increase the speed of these interceptors comes as Ukraine warns that Russia is developing arsenals of newer types of stray munitions that fly much faster. Some, such as the turbojet-powered Geran-3 and Geran-5, can reportedly fly at speeds of up to 235 mph or 370 mph.

Geran-2, the Russian-made version of Iran’s Shahed-136, is known to fly at around 185 miles per hour.

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