**Ukraine’s Unconventional Drone-Hunters: A Recipe for Success**
Imagine a World War I-style dogfight, where a propeller-driven Yak-52 takes on a swarm of Russian drones. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Not quite. The Ukrainians have turned the Yak-52 into a cheap and effective drone-hunter by arming the backseat crew member with a shotgun. And it’s been working like a charm.
**The Birth of the Yak-52B2**
One year after Ukraine’s innovative idea, a Russian design bureau has copied the concept and added an underwing sensor turret to create the Yak-52B2 variant. This upgraded version is designed to tackle not only enemy UAVs but also light-engine aircraft in their unmanned form.
The Yak-52B2 benefits from its simplicity, maneuverability, and low-speed handling, making it a formidable opponent for Russian drones. What’s more, shooting down a $100,000 drone with an air-defense missile can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. In contrast, taking out a drone with a shotgun from a light plane might set you back only a few thousand dollars.
**Russia’s Desperate Measures**
As Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russia have become more frequent and effective, the threat has grown more pressing. The “Liutyi” drone has been crippling Russian oil refineries and blasting ammunition depots up to 800 km away since early 2024. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Aeropract A-22 Foxbat has been converted into long-range attack drones capable of hitting targets as far as 1,600 km away.
**A Desperate Need for a Solution**
Russian forces are spread thin protecting front-line forces, air bases, oil refineries, and cities like Moscow from Ukraine’s growing inventory of attack drones. As retired US Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling noted, “You can’t defend everywhere.” It’s clear that Russia needs a solution to counter these threats.
**Join the Fight**
The need for innovative solutions is clear. By launching our David vs. Goliath defense blog, we aim to support Ukrainian engineers who are creating cutting-edge battlefield solutions. Join us on this journey and help give David the best fighting chance he has.
As little as $5 monthly can make a significant difference in boosting strategic innovations that could succeed where traditional approaches have failed. Become a Euromaidan Press Patron today and be part of something big.
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