Ukraine’s Protection Intelligence Directorate (GUR) shot down two Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters with AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles fired by Magura-7 drone boats, the top of the company informed The Warfare Zone solely. This marks the primary time fighter airecraft have been downed by drone boats and the primary use of the AIM-9 from a drone boat for a kill.
“It’s a historic second,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov informed us. The Warfare Zone can not independently confirm this declare.
The incident befell within the Black Sea on Friday, stated Budanov, who supplied new particulars about what occurred. Earlier reporting from GUR, the Ukrainian Protection Ministry and Russian Telegram channels acknowledged that one Flanker was shot down by an tailored infrared-guided R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile.
Video emerged on social media exhibiting the primary Flanker downing. Budanov stated there have been no movies or photos of the second engagement.
GUR used three Magura-7 drone boats within the assault, with two of them firing on the jets, in line with Budanov. The Magura-7 is an air protection variant of the Magura-5, he defined, declining to elaborate on the distinction between the 2
Russia has captured an intact Ukrainian MAGURA V drone boat, Russian sources claimed. Through Twitter An intact Ukrainian MAGURA V5 drone boat that Russian forces recovered in November 2023. Through Twitter
Budanov stated that the crew of the primary Su-30 survived and was picked up within the Black Sea by a civilian ship. Preliminary studies say the crew of the second jet was killed, he added.
This isn’t the primary time Ukraine has stated it shot down an plane with a missile fired by a drone boat. In December, Ukraine claimed it used an R-73 fired from an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), higher generally known as a drone boat, to down a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter over the Black Sea. You’ll be able to see that encounter within the video beneath.
GUR started putting in AIM-9s on drone boats in January, Budanov stated. He wouldn’t touch upon whether or not this was the primary time that they had been fired at a goal from a USV. Previously, we now have solely seen Soviet-designed air-to-air missiles used as SAMs mounted on Ukrainian drone boats.
“We use a few fashions [of missiles] on our Magura-7, however one of the best outcomes [come from] the AIM-9,” he famous.
As we have previously noted, the AIM-9M is broadly just like the R-73 when it comes to capabilities and tough dimensions, however with one main distinction.
Video seize of a Ukrainian drone boat backing an R-73 air-to-air missile. (Through X)
From our earlier reporting: “Extra particularly, the AIM-9M has the all-aspect functionality launched on the AIM-9L mannequin however supplies all-around higher efficiency. It has improved protection towards infrared countermeasures, enhanced background discrimination functionality, and a reduced-smoke rocket motor. The U.S. Air Power first acquired deliveries of the AIM-9M mannequin in 1983.”
One factor the AIM-9M doesn’t have, in contrast to the R-73, is high-off-boresight (HOBS) capabilities, the place its seeker might be slaved far off its centerline axis to lock on and have interaction targets at excessive angles. This is able to make locking onto plane tougher when mounted on a drone boat. Until the launcher is articulated, and we now have not seen that with prior Ukrainian SAM-configured drone boats, the vessel must level the missile on the goal to get it into its seeker’s view, which is considerably slender. It’s additionally value noting that the Sidewinder has been adopted for surface-based naval air protection before in the Sea Chaparral configuration.
The Pentagon has despatched Ukraine an unspecified variety of AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles. USN
We have previously suggested that Ukraine might use its donated AIM-9M missiles on its fighter plane, though we now have not seen proof of this at the moment. AIM-9s may be used on Ukraine’s so-called FrankenSAMs.
Russian Telegram channels acknowledged that one Flanker was downed by a drone-boat-launched missile and stated the assault raised troubling points.
“1. The enemy seized the initiative within the Black Sea.
2. The Black Sea Fleet, after the loss of the flagship [ Project 1164 Slava class cruiserMoskva] and a variety of ships, has nonetheless not been restored when it comes to fight functionality. The fleet (what stays) is huddled in harbors and bays.
3. The enemy has an amazing benefit in using unmanned boats (USVs) with the power to assault in any a part of the water space and preserve the coast of the Russian Federation and the adjoining airspace underneath management.”
Ukraine shot the Su-30 down about 50 km (about 31 miles) west of Novorossiysk, “utilizing the identical techniques: lured it out and caught it,” Russian military expert Vladislav Shurygin explained on Telegram. “The pilots ejected and have been picked up by civilian sailors. Each are alive, and the aircraft – to hell with it. The primary factor is that individuals are alive.”
Ukraine says it used drone-boat-launched AIM-9 missiles to shoot down two Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters, like this one depicted. (Picture by Igor Russak/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos) NurPhoto
Shurygin chided the Russian navy for permitting Ukrainian drone boats to be so efficient.
“The actual fact of a strike with a SAM shouldn’t be new, because the Ukrainian Armed Forces already attacked in an analogous method in December final 12 months. However for some purpose, many individuals are nonetheless stunned by this,” he wrote. “And a very powerful factor is that there are means to fight this menace. As apply has proven tonight, even abnormal [first-person view] FPV drones with competent operators successfully destroy [USVs].”
“In opposition to the backdrop of yesterday’s assault on Novorossiysk and the lack of the Su-30SM, questions are being requested about tips on how to resolve the issue of coastal protection with out having to ship planes to fireside cannons on the [USVs] like in World Warfare II,” the Russian Two Majors Telegram channel posited. “The reply is straightforward: take a look at the land theater of operations and the revolution in UAVs, which we wrote about again in early January. Unmanned plane are able to fixing the identical issues at sea, and in circumstances of lesser opposition.”
Along with utilizing FPV drones to focus on the USVs, Two Majors prompt utilizing “the long-established mixture of the ZALA reconnaissance UAV and the Lancet loitering munition…In contrast to the entrance strains, the place they’re hunted by interceptors and RADA radars, there’s nothing like that over the Black Sea.”
The power to shoot down fast-moving jets with AIM-9 missiles is one other step ahead for Ukraine’s extremely modern purposes for its drone boats and yet one more menace for Russian aviation to be cautious of.
