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The Ukrainian military has repurposed the Aeroprakt A-22, known in the U.S. as the Foxbat LSA, to target Russian drones. This strategy follows a period of success with Air Force pilots and rear gunners using Yak-52 aircraft to down Russian UAVs. The Yak-52 initiative involved pilots and gunners equipped with shotguns, effectively neutralizing enemy drones.
In recent months, the Aeroprakt A-22 has been employed similarly. Initially used as single-use flying bombs against high-value targets, these light sport aircraft (LSAs) are now being utilized for drone interception missions. Forbes reported that Russian bloggers have expressed frustration over this new tactic.
“The Yak-52 flew over Odessa and with high efficiency shot down our reconnaissance UAVs for a week, causing laughter in some circles,” Forbes quoted from translated blogs. “This has not been funny to UAV operators and us for a long time.” The blog did not specify potential countermeasures against these low-and-slow platforms. According to reports, the Yak-52 has successfully taken out 12 drones valued at approximately $100,000 each.
