Russia Started Intercepting Long-Range Drones on Yak-52 Aircraft

Russia has created the first Bars-Sarmat flight unit using light aircraft to intercept Ukrainian long-range drones in the deep rear.

Russian blogger Ilya Tumanov, author of the aviation channel Fighterbomber, shared this information.

The Bars-Sarmat Special Forces Center of the Russian Armed Forces has deployed a unit of six interceptors that were purchased or donated by supporters. The unit is planned to be expanded in the future, as negotiations are underway for several more aircraft.

It is reported that Russian aviators are manning the unit with Soviet Yak-18T and Yak-52 sports training aircraft. The latter is the one that appeared in the video, where a gunner with a Kalashnikov rifle sits behind the pilot.

“The first plane of the detachment started shooting at the intruders. Later, according to the plan, there will be normal turrets,” the blogger noted, announcing the appearance of a machine gun for the shooter.

The authors of the publication mentioned that the unit managed to attract technicians, pilots, as well as several spare engines and other spare parts to keep the aircraft in a combat-ready state.

The Russians are adopting the tactics of using light aircraft from the Ukrainian military, which has begun using sporty Yak-52s to shoot down reconnaissance drones and “Shaheds” on the approach to major Ukrainian cities.

This aircraft has a low stall speed of 100-140 kilometers per hour. This allows it to pursue drones while maneuvering at relatively low speeds.

A maximum speed of 470 kilometers per hour and a flight duration of 2.5 hours provide time to search for targets and repel large enemy drone attacks.

Presumably, the crews of the Russian improvised interceptors work in cooperation with the air defense forces, which have radars and can coordinate the work of the pilots.

Militarnyi previously reported that Russian mobile firing groups have started to be equipped with SKVP tactical radars from the latest Pantsir-SMD-E system.

It is also possible that Russian aircraft will be equipped with onboard target detection equipment in the future. In May, it was announced that a Russian design bureau had integrated an optoelectronic module and small arms into a Soviet Yak-52.