Enemy mounts MANPADS on «Shahed» drones: Ihnat explains new threat
Russians are installing MANPADS on board «Shahed» drones. Ukraine’s Air Force has explained what threat such an «evolution» poses.
Yurii Ihnat
News that the occupiers have begun installing MANPADS on «Shahed» drones to defend against Ukrainian aircraft has caused serious concern among Ukrainians.
Head of the Communications Department of the Air Force Command, Yurii Ihnat explained whether Ukraine’s Defence Forces have a response to the new threat, on the air of Suspilne.
Ihnat noted that it is still too early to speak about the operating principle of a «Shahed» attack drone equipped with MANPADS.
«A video was released showing our defenders intercepting it and demonstrating that this new threat does exist and must be taken into account, just like other threats — for example, when „Shahed“ drones were fitted with an enlarged warhead containing up to 90 kilograms of shrapnel, ” the Air Force representative said.
He recalled that even the mid-air detonation of a «Shahed-136» drone poses a serious danger to Ukrainian aircraft flying nearby, as fragments from the blast wave can damage Ukrainian aircraft. Helicopters involved in air defence operations are particularly vulnerable.
«MANPADS are something new that we have indeed managed to detect and intercept. I cannot say at this stage how widely this will be used or how effective it will be, because everything is tested in real combat, in aerial combat, ” Ihnat acknowledged.
He noted that MANPADS are man-portable air defence systems capable of engaging targets at altitudes of around four kilometres.
«The fact that the enemy is resorting to such experimental steps — I cannot say at this point how effective this will be, but all these threats are being taken into account by the Defense Forces. The information is available, the mechanism installed on that „Shahed“ is being studied to determine how it may function. Certain conclusions will be drawn later. It is clear that „Shahed“ drones have undergone a certain evolution from their initial state to the present day, ” the Air Force representative said.
Ihnat notes that there have already been many modifications and upgrades to «Shahed» drones, including the installation of additional protection against electronic warfare systems, and so on.