A screenshot from footage released by BYPOL shows the UAV parked on the radome of the A-50 during a pre-strike reconnaissance sortie, according to the group. (BYPOL)
The loss of the airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability provided by the Beriev A-50 ‘Mainstay' is hampering joint Russian and Belarusian air activity, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has determined.
In its latest intelligence update posted on 9 March, the MoD said that the A-50U that was previously reported as attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Maschulishchy Air Base (also known as Minsk-Machulishche Air Base) in Belarus on 26 February had been flown out of theatre for repairs, and that its loss was affecting ongoing air operations.
“On 7 March, Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko confirmed that one of Russia's small fleet of A-50U ‘Mainstay-D' airborne early warning and control aircraft deployed in Belarus had been damaged. The aircraft was almost certainly attacked by a small uncrewed air system. The ‘Mainstay' has likely now been moved to a repair facility at Taganrog in Russia. The transit flight reportedly took place at a lower-than-usual altitude, likely because of damage to the pressurised cabin.
“The ‘Mainstay' was likely providing situational awareness for MiG-31K ‘Foxhound-D' fighter aircraft modified to launch the AS-24 ‘Killjoy' air-launched ballistic missile, which Russia sees as a key strategic capability. The modification saw the jets' internal radar removed to balance the airframe, making pilots reliant on external sources of situational awareness, such as [the] ‘Mainstay'.
“It is a realistic possibility that joint Russo-Belarusian air activity will now be forced to rely on ground control and fighter escort until another ‘Mainstay' can be deployed,” the MoD said.
Janes World Air Forces
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
