A propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft has emerged with an impressive collection of deadly marks on its fuselage; seemingly a confirmation of his success in being employed as a drone killer. While we reported on a series of previous videos showing the use of Soviet-era Yak-52s to shoot down Russian drones, the latest evidence suggests that the unorthodox solution could become a more important part of Ukraine’s multi-layered air defense. Drone kills marked on the side of the Yak-52. via via An aircraft in the same scheme was previously seen in a video captured from the perspective of a Russian drone, as you can see here. One of the new photos shows the kill count below the cockpit and shows in yellow two ZALA 421-16E drones and six Orlan-10/30 series drones. The ZALA 421-16E is a flying wing type, weighs approximately 20 pounds and is primarily used for surveillance over the front lines of the battlefield. The Orlan-10/30 series is one of the most widely used Russian drones in Ukraine, with the smaller Orlan-10 weighing around 35 pounds, while the larger Orlan-30 tips the scales at around 90 pounds. It is also mainly used for surveillance and targeting, as it is equipped with an electro-optical sensor package and a laser designator. A Russian Zala 421-16E that crashed somewhere in the Belgorod region of Russia. via XA Russian Orlan-10 is being prepared for flight. Russian Ministry of Defense Even more intriguing, there are additional markers showing some examples of the Iranian-designed Mohajer-6, with its characteristic twin-arm configuration, and another drone from the Orlan-10/30 series. Both are crossed with a single red line and below that are images of a pelican and a stylized storm cloud respectively. There are suggestions that the crew of the Yak-52 witnessed the destruction of these last two drones when they fell victim to the bird and a lightning strike. It’s also possible that the Yak-52 survived both a bird strike and a thunderstorm, although we simply can’t know for sure. What seems clear is the increasing adoption of Yak-52s for drone hunting, especially in southern Ukraine, far behind the front lines. So far, at least two and possibly three of the aircraft have been sighted in a counter-drone role, although some uncertainties remain about the details of how they actually carry out their missions. It should also be noted that the Yak-52 seen in the photos today may indicate that one of the earlier examples was repainted. The scale of Russian drone activity over their country means the Ukrainians are deploying a wide range of air defense systems to counter it. Apart from non-kinetic options such as electronic warfare, these range from mobile fire teams equipped with machine guns and searchlights to Patriot air defense systems with their long-range surface-to-air missiles. A mobile drone-hunting firefighting team from the air defense platoon of the 241st Independent Brigade is on combat alert somewhere in the Kiev region. Territorial Armed Forces of Ukraine The first time we saw a Yak-52 intercept a drone was in April this year. The target in those images was another Orlan, which had deployed its orange-coloured landing parachute, although it was unclear whether it deployed before or after the Yak-52 – with distinctive blue and yellow wing stripes – began its attack. maneuver around the drone in tight circles. View from the cabin of Yak-52 that helped shoot down a Russian drone over Odessa today. https://t.co/XqkJhEn1DP https://t.co/u3PkwwZ9Cw pic.twitter.com/sOKgq7Nqbq — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) April 27, 2024 Reports so far indicate that the Yak-52 is targeting a gunner onboard has the rear cockpit, which targets drones using some sort of infantry weapon, probably a light machine gun. Another video, showing the Yak-52 with a ‘digital’ camouflage scheme, or one painted in a similar manner, emerged earlier this month, with the battle captured by the drone that was apparently attacked. A person could be seen in the open cockpit at the back of the Yak-52, but it was not possible to distinguish which weapon they were carrying. Ukrainian Yak-52 used to hunt Russian reconnaissance UAVs over southern Ukraine. Video from a Russian drone. https://t.co/5Ba0xy7cWM pic.twitter.com/99havoXGSf — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 8, 2024 The Yak-52 drone-killer aircraft would be flown by crew from the Ukrainian Civil Air Patrol, a civilian organization consisting mainly of amateur pilots and private aircraft owners. The needs of the conflict, and specifically the drone threat, have led the organization to create a so-called Tactical Aviation Group to “destroy enemy UAVs.” An earlier video of a Yak-52 apparently operated by the Tactical Aviation Group of the Ukrainian Civil Air Patrol: Previous videos highlighted the nature of this type of World War I-style dogfights, which were fought purely within visual range, probably with a manual rifle-caliber armament, and at a very low level. What was less clear was how successful the Yak-52 has been at actually shooting down drones. To their advantage, many intercepted drones operate on autopilot, with no ‘pilot in the loop’, so they cannot maneuver away or take evasive action. As we noted earlier, aiming a weapon by hand, using iron sights, with the aircraft’s slipstream and two separate bodies moving three-dimensionally through the air, is hardly easy. While they fly slowly, the types of drones that are intercepted also tend to be very small targets. In addition to the challenges of actually getting into a suitable firing position, there is primarily the broader problem of detecting the drone and vectoring the Yak-52 pilot accordingly. This part of the engagement process may depend on the ground observer system that Ukraine has implemented, driven by the drone threat, which also includes microphone and mobile phone warning systems. The Yak-52 with a ‘digital’ camouflage scheme, seen here from the perspective of a Russian drone it was trying to intercept. via and people to fly them are available in useful numbers. Spare parts and maintenance shouldn’t be a big problem either. On the other hand, while a special armed version of the Yak-52 was developed in Soviet times, the aircraft now available to Ukraine are strictly civilian in their equipment. Their armament will be highly improvised at best, if not downright crude, although it is possible that some sort of weapon mounting and sighting system has been developed. If the fatal marks on the Yak-52 in the recent photo all represent real shootouts, this would certainly say something about the usability of the platform, at least on some level, as well as the training its operators received. This is the other major burden that must be taken into account, although it is reasonable to assume that there is a group of experienced former military pilots who are too old for the service of the Ukrainian Air Force, but nevertheless can participate in this anti-drome -efforts. A pilot takes a selfie while flying a Yak-52 over Ukraine in 2015. Dmitriy Fedorenko/Wikimedia Commons Overall, flying a light, slow-flying, agile platform like the Yak-52 could make sense, especially in areas where Russian drones proliferate deepest behind the front lines. On the other hand, operating such an aircraft anywhere near Russian air defense systems would be extremely unwise, given its inherent vulnerability. This kind of urgency also points to the continued need for additional and more modern ground-based air defense systems for Ukraine, to ensure that more effective coverage against drones – as well as missiles and aircraft – can be extended over the areas needed. Hopefully, now that the number of deaths has come to light, this can be followed by more details on how these small propeller planes are being used to tackle daytime flying drones, and what their overall success rate looks like. At the very least, we now have further evidence of Ukraine’s willingness to successfully adapt to the demands of drone warfare in particular, using the equipment at their disposal as this threat continues to grow. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
