'Cheap air-to-air missile': Ukraine has turned a vintage 55-year-old Russian-designed Antonov An-28…
- Vintage Antonov An-28 now operates as a mobile anti-drone platform
- Ukrainian crews report destroying 222 Russian Shahed drones using the onboard minigun
- Antonov An-28 supports two drone models, SkyFall P1-Sun and Merops AS-3 Surveyor
A 55-year-old turboprop airplane originally designed for short-range cargo and passenger flights has found an entirely new vocation over Ukrainian skies.
The Antonov An-28, a Russian-designed twin-propeller aircraft from the Soviet era, now operates as a mobile anti-drone weapons platform.
Ukrainian forces have equipped this vintage airframe with a six-barrel M134 Minigun, underwing interceptor drones, and virtual reality headsets for night targeting.
From utility transport to drone hunter
The An-28 was never intended for combat; its original mission involved hauling supplies and people from short, unimproved airstrips.
The aircraft’s short takeoff and landing capability now serves a different purpose, allowing it to operate from austere forward bases close to the front lines.
Ukrainian pilot Tymur...
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