File image.
The fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy have begun to play a larger role in countering Ukrainian drone attacks.
Video footage posted to social networks on May 29 showed a Su-30SM performing a sharp maneuver on a low altitude while attempting to intercept a Ukrainian fixed-wing suicide drone during one of the recent attacks on Russian territories. It is unclear where exactly the footage were filmed, or if the drone was brought down.
Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian territories in recent weeks, launching hundreds of suicide drones with some even targeting the capital, Moscow.
Fighter jets, especially modern types like the Su-30SM, can be very effective against drones as they can be deployed rapidly to close any air defense gaps and use their radars and infrared trackers to detect low-flying aerial objects better than ground-based air defenses.
Successful air-to-air interceptions of Ukrainian drones have been reported as early as last year, with Russian sources contributing the kills to the R-73 short-range air-to-air missile.
The latest version of the R-73, dubbed the R-74, is equipped with an all-aspect infrared homing seeker with a range of 40 kilometers and a speed of Mach 2,5. The missile has thrust vectoring control. and a wide gimbal range. This allows it to hit targets “off boresight”.
Air defenses and electronic warfare means will continue to be Russia’s first line of defense against Ukrainian drone attacks. However, the role of the air force in facing such attacks will likely continue to grow as fighter jets and even attack helicopters offer unique capabilities against drones.
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