Russia is modifying Shakhtya: an air-to-air missile is found on the drone for the first time
1 December 20:18
Amid the escalation of the air war, Russia appears to have begun experimenting with arming its kamikaze drones with new weapons. Ukrainian radio technology specialist Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov said that an R-60 air-to-air missile was found for the first time in the wreckage of the downed Shahed drone, [Komersant] reports.
What exactly was found on the Shahed
The missile was mounted directly on the drone and was designed to hit Ukrainian helicopters and tactical aircraft involved in hunting for Shahed during night attacks. Beskrestnov also posted photos of a downed drone with a munition.
What is known about the R-60 missile
The R-60 is a Soviet short-range missile known by the NATO designation AA-8 Aphid. It has a range of up to 10 km and can hit a target within a radius of 2.5 meters thanks to a non-contact fuze.
How Russia’s tactics are changing
This is the first recorded case of a Shahed being equipped with an air-to-air missile. If such modifications become systemic, this could complicate the work of Ukrainian aviation, which accompanies mobile fire groups and destroys drones during flight.
Earlier, Deputy Defense Minister for Innovation Yuriy Mironenko said in an interview with Business Insider that Russian troops are already testing guided versions of the Shahed capable of hunting Ukrainian air targets. He emphasized that so far there have been no confirmed cases of aircraft being shot down by such drones, but the trend itself is a signal to change the rules of the game in the sky.
What does the Shahed modification mean?
The modification of the Shahed with air-to-air weapons may indicate that Russia is trying to partially compensate for the lack of high-tech UAVs and interceptors.
