Vintage drone-hunting Yak-52 plane returns to Odesa skies

Forbes reports that Ukraine’s vintage Yakovlev Yak-52 reportedly returned to operations over Odesa on 26 November. The shotgun-armed Soviet-era training aircraft, a 1970s-vintage propeller plane, has been instrumental in combating Russian surveillance drones in the city.

While unconfirmed, the potential return of this unconventional drone-hunting aircraft highlights Ukraine’s ongoing adaptation in counter-drone warfare strategies. Such Yak-52’s use harks back to early WWI aerial duels, when aircrew resorted to firing handheld infantry weapons to target enemy aircraft, as purpose-built gun mountings and forward-firing guns had yet to be developed.

According to a Ukrainian Navy sailor, a Ukrainian navy sailor in Odesa, the aircraft expended 1,000 liters of fuel during a five-hour mission, reportedly shooting down at least one Orlan drone. These Russian drones typically scout targets for subsequent long-range missile attacks.

The Yak-52, which costs mere hundreds of dollars per flight hour, presents a cost-effective solution against drones valued around $100,000. In a remarkable three-month period starting May, the aircraft reportedly shot down at least a dozen Russian drones, with increasing kill markings documenting its effectiveness, Forbes notes.

The plane’s return follows a four-month absence after Russian forces apparently attempted to destroy its potential home airfield in July. Fresh photos and videos might provide further insights, though the crew might be cautious about publicizing their operations.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has been so impressed with the Yak-52’s performance that they have begun training gunners to hunt Russian unmanned aerial vehicles using locally-made Aeroprakt A-22 sport planes.

Drone warfare innovations have become a defining feature of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Unmanned vehicles of various sizes, operating in the air, on land, and at sea, play a central role, with technology advancing rapidly. Countermeasures against drones keep up with drone development, ranging from low-tech anti-drone nets to high-tech FPV drone interceptors.

Related: