In recent weeks, Ukraine has relied on an unusual weapon to carry out strikes deep into Russian territory: a small unmanned aircraft packed with explosives that resembles some variant of the Cessna propeller plane.
The light, fixed-wing aircraft seen in this spring’s attacks travel at low altitudes and move much more slowly than a long-range missile. Yet they proved capable of evading Moscow’s air defense systems and traveling hundreds of kilometers unscathed to reach their target. targets deep in enemy territory.
Experts say the planes underscore the success of Ukraine’s innovative long-range drone program, which kyiv has used to attack Russian military and energy facilities.
In early April, kyiv used a modified Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat to attack a drone manufacturing factory in the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The small, ultralight sports plane was developed and manufactured in Ukraine and costs less than $90,000 each.
The aircraft can also travel at speeds of up to 130 mph (much slower than a cruise missile, which can fly at speeds in excess of 500 mph, or a ballistic missile, which is significantly faster) and be configured with explosives inside the cabin.
Ukraine Reportedly Tries New Drone Strikes Like This later this month, although it is unclear how successful these initiatives actually were. Last week, a plane resembling the A-22 was spotted in an attack on an oil refinery in the Republic of Bashkortostan, even deeper inside Russia. Multiple open source intelligence shared images of the aircraft hovering unopposed above the facility.
Fabian Hoffmann, doctoral researcher at the University of Oslo and security expert, previously wrote that “in the world of missile systems,” the aircraft is “basically a flying brick.”
But even though the plane may appear crudely assembled, it is still a “rather complex weapon system” because the existing airframe and engine still need to be combined with explosives and guidance technology, he said. -he later told Business Insider in an interview.
The plane appears to be operating at a relatively low altitude, images show, making it more difficult to track by radar. And if Ukraine can find a corridor without adequate air defense coverage, then the drone will be able to effectively penetrate through Russian territory, Hoffmann said. Additionally, given its design, the aircraft could also be mistaken for a civilian aircraft rather than a threat.
This, however, does not really excuse Russia’s apparent failure to engage them. During the attacks on Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, the plane managed to fly for several hours, hundreds of kilometers, into Russian territory without being shot down by the formidable Russian air defense systems, which were a headache for the Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
These drones are noisy and slow, making them vulnerable to visual confirmation en route, even if radar does not detect them. Hoffmann said these planes should be relatively easy to take out or defend by placing air defenses like anti-aircraft guns around critical infrastructure.
Ultimately, he added, the fact that these systems are going unnoticed suggests that Russia has a capacity problem – with assets tied up either defending the battlefield or defending key population centers like Moscow and St. Petersburg – and that it may also underestimate the Ukrainian threat.
“Once you have countermeasures in place, it should be very easy to take this thing down,” Hoffmann said. “And the problem is, they don’t seem to have that.”
But establishing adequate countermeasures to consistently and effectively defend against slow-moving, low-altitude threats can be a challenge, and not just for Russia, said Gordon Davis Jr., a retired major general from the American army.
“This is a vulnerability that the Ukrainians are currently exploiting to their advantage,” Davis, a nonresident senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis’s Transatlantic Defense and Security Program, said at an event on the drone war this week.
The Cessna-type drone notably highlights the success of Ukraine’s ever-evolving drone program. Since the start of the war more than two years ago, kyiv has developed a robust arsenal of home-made unmanned systems capable of striking long-range Russian targets at sea and on the ground.
These unique weapons have proven to be an invaluable part of Ukraine’s war efforts, particularly in recent months as the country continues to face some restrictions from Western countries on how to use their assistance. military.
The United States, for example, has said it does not want kyiv to use American-made weapons to carry out strikes on Russia’s sovereign territory, fearing an escalation of the war. Instead, Washington wants its long-range munitions limited to use in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. This has been the case until now.
“They are making good use of their domestic capabilities and attacking key infrastructure in Russia,” Davis said.
Lance Landrum, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general and another nonresident principal investigator for CEPA’s transatlantic defense and security program, hailed Cessna-style drones as just one example of “the ‘innovation and creativity’ of Ukraine.
“It’s one thing about these drones of all sizes – small, medium and large – that they can exploit the gaps and seams of traditional air defense systems in a way that traditional offensive systems have not. not done in the past,” Landrum said during the press conference. CESP event.
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