Ukrainian light aviation against Russian UAVs
The Russian armed forces widely use unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance and strikes. Ukrainian formations are trying to counteract our unmanned aviation and are looking for effective solutions.
A few months ago, light aircraft and small arms began to be actively used in this area. weapon. This practice is becoming more widespread.
Interceptor trainer
To combat Russian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as reconnaissance Orlans and attack Geraniums, the enemy uses various means, including combat aircraft. Soviet-style fighters are involved in solving such problems, but in some cases they may be redundant for such missions, and their number is constantly being reduced.
In this regard, the Ukrainian Air Force (Air Force) recently proposed and implemented a new concept.
В конце апреля на украинских ресурсах появились любопытные видеоролики, демонстрирующие новый способ борьбы с БПЛА. Видео были сняты накануне над Одесской областью, предположительно, во время прилёта российского разведывательного беспилотника «Орлан-10».
It was decided to use an old Soviet-designed Yak-52 trainer aircraft as a kind of fighter. It is alleged that the plane and the pilots belong to a certain public organization “Civil Air Patrol”, but the car bears the coloring of the “industrial forces”. It was probably also renovated and equipped with modern equipment. The Interceptor carries weapons, but its composition and parameters are not specified. Later it became known that the plane could be equipped with a PK machine gun, and one of the pilots used it directly from the cockpit.
It was reported that the Yak-52 crew was able to shoot down at least one Orlan, thereby hampering the Russian armies conduct reconnaissance. However, the published videos cast doubt on the Ukrainian version of events. Externally, the intercepted target looks more like a Ukrainian UAV UJ-22. In any case, this improvised fighter demonstrated its ability to combat aircraft-type drones, regardless of their nationality.
Presumably, the "Odessa" Yak-52. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
Subsequently, there were reports of new cases related to the “fighter modification” of the Yak-52 training aircraft. Successful hits of targets were reported, but the details of these events remained unknown.
Pilot and gunner
On July 8, another video appeared in Ukrainian sources, which captured the interception of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a light aircraft and small arms. It is reported that this unusual idea was implemented by employees of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR).
The power steering uses a Ukrainian-made light civil aircraft Aeroprakt A-22 as an interceptor. Its two-seat cockpit houses the pilot and gunner. The shooter is armed with a Malyuk assault rifle and must observe the surrounding situation and attack the detected target. To do this, he fires through the “embrasure” - a standard window in the side glazing of the aircraft.
The published video shows the process of intercepting an aircraft-type UAV. The pilot detected the target, flew closer and took a position above and slightly behind it. The shooter attacked the drone at close range, and it, having received damage, went into an uncontrollable dive.
The nature of this flight is not specified. Judging by the landscape and surroundings, these were some kind of tests in testing conditions, and not a real interception of an unmanned aerial target. However, having received an acceptable result, the power steering department can try to introduce such a technique into practice. In this case, Aeroprakty or other aircraft with machine gunners on board will take off to intercept Russian drones.
Ultralight A-22. Photo "Aeroprakt"
Technical aspects
In April, a Yak-52 aircraft was used in Odessa to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles. This is a sports training machine that was developed in the early seventies.
The Yak-52 was intended for initial training of flight personnel, as well as for use for sporting purposes. Production of this model began in the late seventies at the Romanian Aerostar plant. Most of the aircraft entered educational institutions and other organizations of the USSR.
The Yak-52 is an all-metal piston low-wing aircraft with a straight wing. The length of the vehicle does not exceed 7,8 meters, and the wingspan is 9,3 meters. The dry weight of the aircraft is 1035 kilograms, and the maximum take-off weight is 1315 kilograms. The M-14P star-shaped piston engine with a power of 360 horsepower provides a speed of up to 270 kilometers per hour and a flight range of up to 465 kilometers. Stall speed is 110 kilometers per hour. The practical ceiling is 4000 meters. The design allows maneuvers with overload from +7 to -5.
In the central part of the fuselage there is a two-seat tandem cabin. Both pilots have a full set of controls. Access to the cabin is through the sliding parts of the canopy.
The A-22 aircraft was developed in the late nineties by the Ukrainian company Aeroprakt. It was offered to civilian customers as a simple training aircraft or light air transport. To date, at least a thousand A-22 aircraft have been built, including products of several modifications.
The ultra-light A-22 is built according to a high-wing design with a straight metal wing, a plastic casing and fabric covering. The length of the aircraft is only 6,23 meters, and the wingspan is 9,55 meters. The empty plane weighs 306 kilograms, and the maximum take-off weight is 450 kilograms. A Rotax 912 piston engine with 100 horsepower is installed in the bow.
The shooter prepares to attack the target. Still from video from GUR
The cockpit of the A-22 aircraft is the largest and most spacious structural element. It can accommodate just two people, sitting side by side. The cockpit and body of the aircraft as a whole are equipped with a transparent fairing, which provides good visibility in different directions. Entrance to the cabin is through plastic transparent side doors.
According to available data, the armament of the Yak-52 fighter consists of a PK machine gun, which is in the hands of one of the pilots. This is a machine gun chambered for a 7,62×54 mm R rifle cartridge with a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute and an ammunition load of 100 or more rounds of ammunition. The target firing range is 1000 meters.
During a recent flight, the A-22 crew used a Malyuk assault rifle. This Ukrainian weapon, created on the basis of the Soviet AK-74, is distinguished by its bullpup layout and special appearance. It uses a standard low-impulse cartridge of 5,45x39 mm caliber, and also offered a modification for the NATO cartridge 5,56x45 mm. The machine's rate of fire reaches 650 rounds per minute, and the target range is 1000 meters.
Doubtful result
Due to a shortage of anti-aircraft weapons and modern fighters, the Ukrainian military was forced to resort to improvisation. They equipped light aircraft with small arms and created two types of interceptors.
It is argued that this technique successfully copes with its tasks, but it also has disadvantages.
It is important to pay attention to the types and characteristics of the aircraft that were selected for this purpose. Sports aircraft with low flight characteristics but good maneuverability are used as “fighters”. This choice is determined by the characteristics of the goals with which they have to fight.
According to available data, the speed of the Orlans and Geraniums does not exceed 200–250 km/h. You don't need a high-speed aircraft to fight them, but there are some nuances that should be taken into account.
In the process of interception. Still from video from GUR
The Interceptors were selected from the available stock. In Ukraine there are a number of Yak-52 training aircraft and ultra-light A-22 aircraft. In addition, the latter may still be able to be produced in-house, at least from existing stocks. The presence of a fleet of such aircraft makes it possible to quickly deploy “fighters” without relying on repair facilities or foreign supplies.
Of course, there are also disadvantages. First of all, they are associated with the improvised and compromise nature of the project. The creators of the “fighters” could not choose the optimal components and solutions, which ultimately led to serious limitations of various kinds.
For example, objective restrictions affected the “weapons complex”. Two improvised interceptors are equipped with infantry weapons, and the functions of the control system are performed by a specially trained shooter. All this leads to low fire accuracy and reduces the overall effectiveness of combat work. In fact, the success of an interception depends only on random hits on the target.
Forced measures
At the moment, fighter aircraft and the air defense system of Ukraine have suffered significant losses and lost most of their potential. At the same time, the Russian army continues to actively use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types, which forces the enemy to urgently look for alternative solutions.
A few months ago, this led to the emergence of improvised fighters in the form of light aircraft for non-military purposes. It is claimed that such “interceptors” are capable of fighting drones. However, the real capabilities and quantity of such equipment are unlikely to correspond to the scale of the threat posed by drones. Therefore, it can be assumed that the Yak-52 with a machine gun or the A-22 with a machine gun will not be able to effectively cope with the assigned tasks and will remain in stories as a necessary measure and a technical curiosity.
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