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Air war over Ukraine

The United Kingdom supplied the Terrahawk Paladin system to Ukraine.


Drones and defense against them


Text: Miro Barič

Photos: Ukrainian armed forces, social media and other public sources


In the period from October 1 to October 31, which we are observing in this part of the series, the importance of drones and defense against them has become evident in various aspects. Therefore, we will focus mainly on them this time. However, another significant weapon appeared in Ukraine during this time – ATACMS missiles with longer range.

 

Let's begin with sad news. On Thursday, October 5, Russia committed another of its war crimes. Shortly after noon, a ballistic missile from Iskander hit a café in the village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region. A farewell ceremony for a soldier from this village was taking place at that moment. 59 people, including a six-year-old boy, lost their lives, and seven others were injured.

 Hroza had around 500 inhabitants before the war. It was initially occupied by Russian forces but was liberated in September 2022 during the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. Just before the attack, there were 330 people living in the village. One Russian missile thus killed 10 percent of the pre-war population of the village. Every family in Hroza lost someone.

 The soldier whose funeral took place on October 5 had died earlier. His remains were transported to his hometown only now. His widow, son, and daughter-in-law also died in the Russian attack. A few days after the attack, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) stated that the Russian missile had been guided by two collaborators, brothers Vladimir and Dmitry Mamonov. They had lived in the village before and fled to Russian-occupied territory after its liberation. When they learned about the planned funeral on social media, they decided to attend, assuming that fellow soldiers of the deceased soldier might also be present.

 Moscow tried to justify the attack by spreading lies that many neo-Nazis were present at the funeral. However, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, through its own investigation, found that all victims of the attack – 36 women, 22 men, and one child – were civilians. It is uncertain whether Russia intentionally attacked civilians or simply failed to verify information from collaborators who provided the target coordinates. The UN called on Russia to acknowledge responsibility, identify and punish the perpetrators, and provide compensation to the victims' families.

 

ATACMS in action

 On the other hand, Ukraine demonstrated a rocket attack that had a spectacular effect on military targets, unlike the Russian one. The U.S. and Ukraine did not announce the delivery of ATACMS missiles in advance; they used them immediately. The first ATACMS missile strike on Tuesday, October 17, targeted airports in Berdyansk in the Zaporizhia region and in Luhansk. It was a total surprise for the Russians, and they suffered significant damage.

 The extent of the damage was hard to estimate because, in addition to completely destroyed and burnt helicopters, several were hit by dozens or even hundreds of fragments but did not catch fire. These machines appeared untouched at first glance in satellite images but were, in fact, irreparably damaged. Austrian analyst Tom Cooper, citing sources that examined all available images, stated that there were 13 Ka-52 helicopters, twelve Mi-8, two Mi-8, and two Mi-24/35 helicopters hit at the Berdyansk airport. In Luhansk, seven Mi-28, six Ka-52, and four Mi-8 helicopters were hit. In total, the Russian armed forces lost 46 helicopters.

 A few days after the attack, the Russians released a video showing that nothing had happened at the affected bases. The video captured an empty apron with small craters from ATACMS missile submunitions at regular intervals. However, fresh traces of heavy equipment were visible, indicating that the Russians had removed something from the area before filming – and in large quantities. Moreover, even before the video, immediately after the attack, a video shot by Russian soldiers on the edge of the affected base in Berdyansk appeared. It showed five or six fires – buildings and helicopters were burning.

 The remaining helicopters were withdrawn by the occupiers to the east, to the Taganrog base, which is on Russian territory. Ukraine, based on an agreement with its allies, cannot use Western weapons against it. For Russian helicopters, this means a longer flight to the front and less time for searching and tracking targets. According to recent reports, Russia has only about 25 Ka-52 helicopters in usable condition.

 Drones have become ubiquitous in Ukraine.

Illustrative photo of the ATACMS missile launch from the M270 MLRS launcher.

Fires resulting from ATACMS missile attack at the Berdiansk airport.

Intact M74 submunition from the M39 ATACMS missile.

At first glance, it may not seem so, but there are 35 shrapnel hits in total in this detailed photo of the Ka-52 helicopter.

Ka-52 helicopter in a photo released by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Another illustrative shot published by the Russian Ministry of Defense, this time featuring the Mi-8.


950 pieces of submunition

 The Ukrainians have continued to successfully use ATACMS missiles. In the last days of October, they targeted the forward airfield in Tokmak in the Zaporizhia region and an S-400 air defense system battery in the Luhansk region. In the latter case, at least three launchers were destroyed.

 Interestingly, ATACMS missiles proved effective in a direct confrontation with the S-400 system, designed for ballistic missile defense. Calculating their trajectory is crucial in countering them, and ATACMS missiles complicate this process. After launch, they reach speeds of Mach 3 and initiate a series of maneuvers, altering not only their altitude but also their flight path. This makes it impossible to determine their trajectory. Immediate post-launch maneuvering also hinders identifying the launch location, providing protection for the launching platform against retaliatory fire.

Ukraine has so far received the oldest version of these missiles, the M39. It has a shorter range compared to later versions (165 km versus 300 km), but it carries a larger payload—up to 950 pieces of M74 submunition. Each submunition is about the size of a baseball and weighs half a kilogram. The submunitions from a single missile cover an area of three hectares, where the shrapnel kills everything living and destroys unarmored vehicles, helicopters, and planes.

 ATACMS missiles have a caliber of 610 mm and are launched from M142 HIMARS or M270 MLRS rocket launchers, which Ukraine has been using since last summer. However, until now, they only had missiles with a caliber of 227 mm and a range of about 80 km. One launcher can fire either six 227 mm missiles or one ATACMS missile. The wheeled M142 HIMARS can launch one ATACMS missile, and the larger tracked M270 can launch two of these missiles due to its two launchers.

 

Stalemate?

 On the ground, the situation has barely changed, although both sides are attempting offensives. Russia continued its pressure in the Kupiansk area in the north of the Kharkiv region and launched an extensive offensive operation near Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. After massive losses of equipment, they shifted to a tactic of constant infantry wave attacks. Despite significant casualties, they achieved minimal territorial gains in the observed period near Avdiivka.

 A similar situation unfolded near Bachmut. In the areas of Robotyne and Verbove in the Zaporizhia region, the Ukrainian advance to the south was halted. However, there was an expansion of the Ukrainian salient to the east and west. Ukrainians also established several small bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region and continued to expand them. In this area, Ukrainians successfully deployed helicopters flying low over the river and launching salvos of unguided rockets at Russian positions.

 Ground battles were accompanied by an increasingly massive use of drones. Over the mentioned bridges on the left bank of the Dnieper, Ukrainians gained an advantage through the successful use of jammers that restrict Russian drones. In other sectors, Russians use drones to replace artillery and employ them in kamikaze attacks not only on equipment but also on trenches with Ukrainian defenders. Drones of various sizes operate over the battlefield, with larger reconnaissance drones at higher altitudes and modified small commercial drones moving in large numbers just above the ground.

 Use of heavier reconnaissance drones in photos from the Ukrainian armed forces.


Machine guns and cannons against drones

 The fight against drones has become a significant priority. In addition to the mentioned jammers and other larger electronic warfare means, electronic rifles—essentially handheld jammers—are supplied from the West. Allies are also providing various weapons to Ukraine. For instance, Norway supplied remotely operated weapon stations, CORTEX Typhon, along with Dingo vehicles on which they are mounted. The number of units delivered was not disclosed, but the value of the Norwegian delivery was 65 million euros.

 The CORTEX Typhon system is equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun and operates in two modes. The first is automatic, where the system itself destroys all drones within its range. This avoids precious time loss, crucial especially during kamikaze drone attacks, where every second counts. However, this mode can only be used when there are no friendly drones operating in the vicinity. In the second mode, the operator decides to open fire after verifying the drone's identity. The effective range is 2 km.

 From Australia, 160 Slinger systems were sent to Ukraine, with 110 to be mounted on tracked armored vehicles M113 and 50 on wheeled Bushmaster vehicles, also supplied from Australia. Slinger uses a 30mm caliber cannon and has a magazine with 150 proximity-fused grenades. The goal, therefore, doesn't have to be a direct hit; the grenade explodes in a target‘s vicinity destroying it with fragments.

 In addition to a set of optical devices, Slinger also has a ballistic radar. The system's day and night cameras can capture a target at a distance of 12–13 km and precisely identify it at over 4 km. The ballistic radar can target a vehicle at a distance of 3.5 km, a soldier at 2.2 km, and a large drone (such as DJI Matrice 600) at 1.4 km. The smallest targets, like small quadcopters DJI Phantom, can be targeted at approximately one kilometer.

 In October, Britain also provided Ukraine with Terrahawk Paladin systems. In this case, it is a relatively heavy tool transported by a truck. The platform is equipped with a mast with a radar, laser rangefinder, and day and night cameras. On the opposite side there is a remotely controlled 30mm caliber cannon. What makes Terrahawk Paladin exceptional is the ability to supplement the cannon with APKWS rockets with a caliber of 70 mm with laser guidance. However, there are too few of these sophisticated systems to adequately cover the entire front line. Therefore, the most commonly used are still ordinary machine guns mounted on any available vehicles.

The turret of the Australian Slinger system.

The most commonly used weapons against drones are still anti-aircraft machine guns.

 

Destroyed by drones as well as friendly fire

 Drones have contributed to further losses in the Ukrainian air force during the observed period. On Tuesday, October 10, one Su-25 was destroyed at Dolgintsevo Airport near the city of Kryvyi Rih by a Lancet 3 drone. There were also photographs of MiG-29 aircraft destroyed at Kulbakino Airport near Mykolaiv. According to some sources, these are new losses in October, but in reality, these are images of fighters destroyed in the previous month. Despite this, the repetition of the attack on Dolgintsevo is a striking negligence on the part of Ukraine, as the first attack occurred on September 19.

 In addition, Russian channels claimed on Monday, October 16, that Shkolny Airport near Odesa was hit by a missile, resulting in the destruction of six aircraft. Satellite imagery supposedly confirmed this. However, the imagery captured the aftermath of an attack in May 2022, showing two damaged training L-39 Albatros aircraft and four MiG-21 fighters. Ukraine never used these aircraft. Three were MiG-21bis originally repaired for Yemen and Algeria but never delivered and had not flown for over ten years. The fourth was a two-seater MiG-21UM.

Small commercial drones are the most widely used on the battlefield.


 From previous periods, there is also a shot-down Ukrainian Su-24, whose wreckage was found near Bachmut, and the Russians published its photos on Wednesday, October 18. Most likely, it is the Su-24M with the fuselage number "white 69," lost in May 2022 near Soledar. Its crew, Colonel Igor Khmara and Major Ilya Negar from the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade, perished.

 The only Ukrainian aircraft whose downing was confirmed in the observed period is an Mi-24 helicopter from the 16th Independent Army Aviation Brigade. The helicopter crashed on Friday, November 20, near the village of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. An Mi-8 helicopter was subsequently captured on a mission attempting to rescue the crew of the downed Mi-24. At least one of them, Colonel Serhiy Novosad, lost his life.

 During the observed period, the Ukrainian side reported the downing of several Russian Su-25 aircraft during the battle for Avdiivka. However, none of them has been confirmed so far. It is possible that the wreckage will be found and appear in footage later, as has happened many times during this war. What is confirmed, in addition to airports destroyed by ATACMS missiles, are two downings most likely caused by "friendly" fire.

 In the first case, a single-seat Su-type fighter was destroyed on Friday, October 6. The aircraft crashed near the village of Nikolske, near Mariupol in the Donetsk region. The pilot successfully ejected and parachuted to safety. In the second case, however, the entire three-member crew of a naval Mi-8MTV-5 helicopter perished. After being hit by its own air defense, the helicopter crashed into the sea on Sunday, October 22. The aircraft belonged to the 98th Independent Mixed Aviation Regiment, and the crew members who lost their lives were Major Grigory Azanov and two other officers, Maxim Pasechnik and Alexei Kontievsky.

The Gepard anti-aircraft tank with kill marks.


Zaluzhny's ideas

 In conclusion, let's revisit the topic of drones through the reflections of Ukrainian Chief of General Staff Valeriy Zaluzhny, who wrote an extensive thesis for The Economist, dedicating considerable attention to drones. Zaluzhny states that the situation on the front is heading towards a stalemate, which is more favorable to Russia. He also outlines five ways to overcome this stalemate:

 Achieving Air Superiority

Overcoming Minefields at Sufficient Depth

Effective Counter-Battery Fire

Creating and Preparing Adequate Reserves

Effective Electronic Warfare


Regarding the air force, Zaluzhny mentions that at the beginning of the war in February of the previous year, Ukraine had 120 tactical aircraft, of which only 40 were in satisfactory technical condition. There were 33 medium and short-range air defense battalions, of which only 18 had well-maintained equipment. However, with the help of allies, both the air force and air defense were strengthened. Fighter jets, attack aircraft, and helicopters were supplied, along with 16 different types of Western air defense systems, ranging from man-portable missiles to self-propelled anti-aircraft guns like the Gepard and Patriot systems.

 As a result, significant losses were inflicted upon the enemy. According to Zaluzhny, the Russian air force lost the equivalent of one air army, and in the case of helicopters, 13 regiments (brigades) of the army aviation were lost. While the enemy is building new attack aviation units, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have taken on a significant portion of reconnaissance and airstrikes.

 To achieve air superiority, Zaluzhny proposes the simultaneous mass use of cheap flying decoys and attack drones. Lures, together with drones in one combat formation, would overwhelm the enemy's air defense, confuse the opponent regarding the actual number of combat assets during an attack, and force them to reveal their defense positions.

 For countering enemy drones, Zaluzhny suggests using drones with nets to eliminate the threat of kamikaze attacks on own units. Reconnaissance drones with infrared cameras at night should be blinded using strobe lights to prevent them from detecting the positions of Ukrainian troops and equipment. Mass use of electronic warfare means (portable jammers, anti-drone rifles) is essential on the contact line to protect own ground forces.

 Zaluzhny also addresses the threat of manned aircraft releasing glide bombs from a distance onto Ukrainian positions. The use of air defense radar simulators that illuminate the approaching aircraft would, ideally, scare the pilot into releasing their deadly payload from a greater distance, making it less accurate and effective.

 Among the five points necessary to overcome the stalemate, we have delved deeper into aviation, the main theme of this series. Besides these, Zaluzhny emphasizes the importance of rational logistics organization and the exploration of new and unconventional ways to break the parity with the enemy.

Ukrainian MiG-29 destroyed at the Kulbakino airport.

This Ukrainian Su-24M was lost in May 2022 near Soledar; photos have only surfaced recently.

Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter firing the unguided rockets at the Russian positions.

previous article

Israeli S-199 - The Color Mystery

The article comes from the issue 12/2023

Info EDUARD 12/2023, Air war over Ukraine - Drones and defense against them
Info EDUARD 12/2023, Page 23
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12/2023
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