Drones Inflict Bite on Russias Aviation Might: Potential Loss of Two Valuable Aircraft
Russia allegedly suffered loss of two crucial airborne assets.
Details continue to surface about the strikes on multiple Russian military airfields. Its been reported that Ukrainian drones have targeted rare early warning aircraft, which might have far-reaching consequences for glide bomb usage.
The Ukraine is believed to have caused damage to at least two A50 early warning aircraft via drone assaults on Russian air bases. The British "Telegraph" is among the sources reporting this, citing intel insiders. The A50s are valuable due to their scarcity and their role in orchestrating air operations and target selection.
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Journalist Michael Weiss of "The Insider" shared a video, purportedly showing Ukrainian drones striking two Russian A50 planes. According to his colleague Jimmy Rushton, these drones landed straight onto the radar domes of at least two early warning aircraft and exploded there.
The video and report from the "Telegraph" have yet to be made public. There's no clarity on whether the A50s were utterly vanquished.
Implications for Air Forces
The Ukrainian intelligence agency SBU also reported strikes on one or more A50s. Military expert Gustav Gressel informed ntv.de that Russia had only six to seven operational A50s left, indicating that there'd be only four or five remaining after the aforementioned attacks.
Gressel posits that if several A50s were lost, it could significantly impact Russian air forces, particularly their glide bomb attacks. These weapons have been a problem for Ukraine's defenders, alongside fiberglass drones - currently, their biggest challenge.
Glide bombs are essentially explosive bodies modified for being dropped from aircraft at a distance for safe detonation. Past instances of massive glide bomb attacks on Ukrainian fortifications have often preceded Russian infantry assaults. Ukrainians have consistently complained about the challenges these attacks cause.
It appears that more than two A50s could have been injured in these recent attacks. The extent of the damage will become clearer as time passes. In all, 41 aircraft of various types were reportedly hit. Last year, Ukraine claimed to have downed two A50 aircraft.
Source: ntv.de, rog
Additional Insights:
- Targeting Strategic Bombers: The drone strikes targeted key strategic bombers at several Russian air bases, which might limit Russia's capacity to execute long-range bombing missions.
- Financial Loss: Reports suggest the operations caused $7 billion in damage and destroyed numerous Russian strategic bomber aircraft, potentially impacting Russia's air power capabilities, including their employment of glide bombs.
- Indirect Impacts: The attacks might subsequently affect operational capacity of related aircraft, including support and surveillance systems like the A50, despite a lack of specific information on the A50's current status.
- The community policy on drone usage in times of war-and-conflicts would likely discuss the recent strikes on Russian military airfields, considering the potential loss of valuable aircraft like the A50 early warning aircraft, which are crucial for air operations and target selection.
- In light of the Ukraine's reported successful drone attacks on strategic Russian bombers, causing an estimated financial loss of $7 billion and impacting their employment of glide bombs, the employment policy in the aerospace industry might need to address the growing threat of drone technology in military conflict.
- The general-news outlets have been discussing the recent drone attacks on Russian military airfields, their potential impact on Russian air power capabilities, and the implications for the industry, politics, and finance, underlining the importance of understanding and addressing emerging military tactics in contemporary war-and-conflicts.
