Ukrainian troops have used an Antonov An-28 turboprop aircraft to launch several interceptor drones in combat, turning the civilian plane into an airborne carrier for Shahed-killing quadcopters.
Tymur Fatkullin, a Ukrainian pilot, posted footage on social media of the drones launched from under the wings of an An-28.
“You could call it a cheap air-to-air missile. For us, it is also a step toward technology that will allow drones to operate in zero visibility,” Fatkullin wrote in a caption for his Thursday post.
The videos appear to show multiple P1-Sun interceptors, developed by the Ukrainian firm Skyfall, being launched individually from the An-28’s wings. Each one is seen tracking down and destroying a Shahed.
Fatkullin’s montage included a brief clip of the US-made Merops system firing an AS-3 Surveyor, a winged interceptor drone, from the An-28 during a training mission.
The Wild Hornets, another Ukrainian drone maker, also said that its Sting interceptor drone was recently launched from an An-28 during a combat mission, posting footage of a daytime launch. Earlier this week, it said it had taken part in the world’s first interceptor combat launch from an uncrewed surface vessel.
The An-28’s modified configuration appears to feature pylons under its wings, allowing the plane to carry at least three interceptor drones per wing.
The light transport turboprop plane, which first flew in 1968, is fast emerging as one of Ukraine’s low-cost solutions to Russia’s frequent waves of Shahed attack drones. Ukrainian An-28 crews would typically use the plane to position near a flying Shahed, firing a machine gun from a side door to destroy the loitering munition.
Dozens of drone kills with this tactic have now given the An-28, originally intended as a transport or passenger aircraft, a new colloquial reputation as a “Shahed hunter” in Ukraine.
As a platform for interceptor drones, it offers several other advantages that could further extend Ukraine’s cheaper air defense.
First, the airborne platform allows an interceptor crew to maneuver into range of Shaheds more quickly; a typical Ukrainian crew, which includes the drone pilot and radar operator, travels in cars or trucks to reach the threat or a designated area of responsibility. The plane is also designed for short take-offs and landings, meaning it doesn’t need a conventional airstrip.
Meanwhile, the An-28 can cruise at about 208 mph, which would also allow an interceptor drone to launch at a higher velocity if both aircraft fly in the same direction, making it easier for the drone to catch up to a Shahed.
Some of Ukraine’s fastest interceptor drones can fly above 200 mph, with its defense ministry saying one of its small drones set a record speed of 248.5 mph in December.
Local firms continue to upgrade the speeds of these small drones, though there are theoretical limits to their most common designs, which often rely on four propellers and a tear-shaped aerodynamic frame.
The effort to push the speeds of these interceptors comes as Ukraine has warned that Russia is developing arsenals of newer types of loitering munitions that fly much faster. Some, such as the turbojet-powered Geran-3 and Geran-5, can reportedly fly at up to 235 mph or 370 mph.
The Geran-2, the Russian-made version of Iran’s Shahed-136, is known to fly at about 115 mph.
