Latest news with #aerialcombat
The National
5 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Drone dogfights: Ukraine's new weapon to wrest back control of skies from Russia
A new form of warfare is due to break out in the skies above Ukraine, with drone fighters trying to shoot down the Russian drones that are bombarding cities. In an attempt to wrest back control of the skies after Moscow massively increased its kamikaze drone production, Kyiv is launching sophisticated aerial combat drones to be used in dogfights. This includes the Besomar 3210, which can carry up to four 12-gauge shotgun barrels using an onboard computer to stealthily close in and blast Russian drones out of the sky. Military experts have told The National that with Russia developing countermeasures for their UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) to fight back 'air-to-air combat between drones' will develop. Drones by the thousands The ability to counter the barrage of Russia's Geran-2 machine, based on the Iran-supplied Shahed 136 one-way attack UAV, has grown more urgent for Ukraine given the sheer number now being produced by Russia. In one night last month Moscow fired 700 towards Ukraine with another 1,000 coming during the same week, leading President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn that Russia was 'intensifying terror against our cities and communities'. Moscow has been able to intensify that effort, with its war machine able to increase production fivefold with help from Chinese manufacturers, and it plans to build 40,000 Geran-2 drones this year, according to Ukraine intelligence. The Geran-2 has also been upgraded with AI, electronic warfare defences against jamming and a video guidance system. With the ability to fly at 4,000 metres it can conduct dives, taking its speed from 185kph to 400kph, with a 90kg explosive payload. Furthermore, the drone's ability to penetrate Ukraine's defences has increased at least threefold. According to figures from The Economist, 15 per cent made it through last month compared to less than 5 per cent in March, killing people and destroying infrastructure. Ukraine is reluctant to use its expensive, Western-supplied interceptor missiles, which cost $200,000 a go, and so rapidly needs to develop a new method of shooting down drones. 'Interceptor drones appear effective if they can identify and acquire targets such as a Geran,' said Sean Reardon of Janes, the defence intelligence company. 'Should Geran-type drones acquire their own countermeasures that effectively engage interceptor drones then air-to-air combat between drones is a possibility.' Shotgun fighters President Zelenskyy has requested manufacturers produce 1,000 interceptors a day – compared to Russia's 170 Geran-2s a day – and has suggested a $6 billion budget for counter-drone measures. At least four companies have produced their own attack drones, with Besomar producing an advanced aircraft equipped with shotguns and computers. The prototype currently carries two 12-gauge shotguns mounted below its wings that can fire, then return back to base to rearm, making them more cost-effective than drones that simply ram their targets. A central advantage in the Besomar model comes from its onboard computer, which includes a nose sensor that automatically fires the weapon when the enemy drone enters its 'kill zone'. This drastically improves its reaction times, helping to hit a manoeuvring target when the drone's pilot might not have time to fire a manually triggered shot. The shotgun has no recoil, ensuring the drone remains stable during combat, with each round firing about a dozen tungsten steel pellets, which is 'probably lethal between 0-20 metres', said Mr Reardon, the small arms and light weapons analyst at Janes. 'Providing the target is engaged at a close enough range and the shot pattern covers the target it should be effective. The difficulty, in my opinion, is getting to the target in time and in a position to get an effective shot on target.' The Besomar 3210 is able to loiter for about 60 minutes, giving it the opportunity to be airborne to intercept Russian drones, despite its relatively low speed. Future dogfighters Currently the drone dogfighter can fly at 200kph, whereas the Geran has a top speed of 185kph but can achieve 400kph when diving on to a target. Demonstrating the remarkable battlefield ingenuity shown by both sides, the Ukrainians have given it a frequency hopping device that makes it difficult to jam its radio signal. The Russians have also recently developed drones that can conduct evasive manoeuvres when they detect interceptors. Ukraine is looking to rapidly build interceptors that can fly at 300kph, loiter at 5000 metres and cost around $5,000. The Kyiv Post has also reported on a quadcopter drone that uses a six-barrel shotgun for air combat and a jet-propelled model armed with a single shotgun.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
What's in a name? Fighters, bombers and modern aerial combat
Aerial combat has evolved from dogfights between high-speed, maneuverable fighters to duels among missile-armed aircraft at long range. In 2015, John Stillion presciently analyzed this transformation. His research demonstrated that victory no longer results from the fastest, most maneuverable fighter destroying an enemy in a dogfight. Instead, air combat today favors larger, less detectable aircraft using networked information to defeat adversaries with long-range missiles. This shift has ushered in a new regime of aerial combat where future air superiority aircraft may resemble bombers more than fighters. The Chinese J-36, J-50 and the multinational GCAP aircraft appear to embody Stillion's principles. The extent to which the Air Force's F-47 and the Navy's F/A-XX embody these design principles remains unclear. Current U.S. Air Force efforts to achieve air superiority against the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) reflect the assumption that aircraft with traditional fighter characteristics — high maneuverability, high speed and small size — will remain the centerpiece of air combat. These include increasing the number of missiles each F-35 can carry, buying F-15EXs, developing unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and fielding the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft. These efforts are in tension with the changing character of modern aerial combat and magnify the challenge to keep pace with the PLAAF. Fielding survivable bomber-sized aircraft for long-range aerial combat could mitigate these shortfalls. From the earliest days of air-to-air combat, 'seeing first and shooting first' has delivered victory. Whereas aircraft maneuverability and speed were long fundamental to these goals, this is no longer the case. Long-range sensing and extended-range missiles have profoundly altered air-to-air combat. When an information advantage is paired with a weapon kinematic advantage, it allows one aircraft to see first and shoot first. Today, aircraft survivability depends upon reducing signatures to foil long-range detection, tracking, identification and engagement. Speed and maneuverability still matter, but these traits now reside in weapons more than aircraft. Increasingly, aerial combat favors larger aircraft that can carry a greater number of long-range missiles and other payloads over vast distances. A historical example illustrates this trend. Over the past 33 years, the Air Force has averaged a .46 probability of kill for each beyond-visual-range AIM-120 missile fired. These engagements occurred in benign electromagnetic environments. Against the PLAAF, U.S. aircraft would face sophisticated electronic countermeasures, further decreasing each missile's probability of kill and increasing the number of weapons required to destroy a single target. An aircraft's ability to carry a large number of missiles is imperative in contemporary air warfare. Fighters are traditionally small aircraft, which limits the number and size of missiles they can carry. Further, a fighter's small weapons bays constrain missile length and diameter, and thus the range of an attack. These factors leave the Air Force's traditional fighter inventory poorly positioned to capitalize on the critical role that aircraft size plays in contemporary aerial combat. What options exist for increasing the Air Force's aerial firepower in the face of these challenges? One is to field more fighters. Another is to increase the number of missiles per fighter. A third is to fly more fighter sorties. These approaches appear less attractive when viewed in detail. Although buying more fighters, including CCA, could help, the range and payload constraints inherent in small aircraft limit this option's effectiveness. Crucially, the People's Liberation Army's threat to airfields and supporting aircraft, combined with the vast distances in the Pacific theater, may make significantly increasing the number of fighter sorties impossible. Instead, the Air Force should consider nonfighter options for meeting the challenges of contemporary air combat. If the Pentagon moves to embrace Stillion's vision of aerial combat, the size of 'fighters' should increase, perhaps to the size of today's bombers. For example, still in testing, the B-21 Raider appears to possess the survivability and payload required to excel in contemporary aerial combat. Although the aircraft's range and payload remain classified, it is safe to say that they exceed those of today's fighters. Although designed and designated as a bomber, it can more usefully be thought of as a stealthy, networked, long-range aircraft capable of employing a considerable payload of large weapons. The PLAAF presents a resolute challenge to the Air Force. Compounding that threat is air warfare's evolving character, which favors reduced signature and magazine depth over speed and maneuverability. Moreover, the Chinese and other air forces appear to have come to this conclusion and are fielding aircraft that embody these design principles. The United States would do well to pay attention. Fielding larger, survivable aircraft for long-range air-to-air combat would take advantage of aerial combat's transforming character. The Air Force has a rich history of setting new airpower precedents. Now is the time to break paradigms, set new standards for air superiority and strike fear in the Chinese air force. Gregory Malandrino is a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Thomas G. Mahnken is CSBA's president and chief executive officer.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How India and Pakistan are preparing for the next conflict
Along the border separating India from Pakistan , the aftermath of five days of aerial combat hangs in the air, thick with uncertainty. The conflict's true legacy may be a dangerous new normal, analysts say – one where escalation is only ever a provocation away. New Delhi maintains that Operation Sindoor – launched in response to a deadly terrorist attack in disputed Kashmir in April that it blamed on Islamabad – is far from concluded, hinting at the possibility of further punitive actions. Pakistan, meanwhile, has promoted its army chief of staff , Asim Munir, to field marshal for what it regards as a successful defence of the nation between May 7 and 11. Officials in Islamabad insist the country stands ready for renewed clashes, but caution that any escalation risks plunging both nations into a nuclear-armed stand-off. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to succumb to what he calls Pakistan's 'nuclear blackmail'. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi salutes servicemen at an air base in Punjab on May 13. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau/EPA-EFE Any future confrontation could unfold in myriad ways, analysts say, shaped by the evolving strengths and vulnerabilities of both militaries.
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
India-Pakistan ceasefire holds. But the battle lines have changed.
ISLAMABAD — When India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, stepping back from the precipice of all-out war, the rival powers both declared victory. But in Pakistan, analysts said Monday, the enthusiasm may be clouding a clearheaded assessment of how the latest aerial combat — the most serious since both countries developed nuclear weapons — has upended the regional status quo.
The National
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
India-Pakistan conflict: Chinese air-to-air missile downs Rafale jet and ushers new era of aerial combat
China has a proven a 'gold standard' missile capability, demonstrating a major breakthrough in its air-to-air missile development, after Pakistan claimed the scalp of a western-made Indian warplane. At least one of the French-supplied advanced Rafale fighters was destroyed by a hypersonic PL-15 missile fired by the Pakistan Air Force from a distance of more than 100km on Wednesday, it has been reported. That heralds, aviation experts have told The National, a new era of aerial combat with dogfights in the past and long-range missile sniping the future. Another key point, also witnessed in the Russian-Ukraine war, is that electronic warfare is becoming vital to battlefield survival, with the Indian aircraft not apparently equipped with a key radar jammer unlike British and US jets. China has invested heavily in what experts called 'a gold standard' Active Electronically Scanned Array (Aesa) radar capability, which allows it to miniaturise the system and put it inside a 200kg missile. By comparison Raytheon's Phantomstrike missile is miniaturised at 60kg. The weapons system on the Chinese fighter is a new factor in the significant escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries. Fighting has erupted after a terrorist attack in disputed Kashmir that India says was carried out by Pakistani-backed militants. Pakistan denies supporting the group that claimed responsibility. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament on Wednesday that three Indian Rafales had been shot down by the air force's J-10C jet, supplied by China. American and French intelligence sources have subsequently confirmed the downing of at least one, possibly two, Rafale − the first time the aircraft has been lost in combat. This is also the first time such Chinese equipment has been tested in battle against western opponents and its success will resonate significantly. Experts believe that the development proves that Chinese military technology is close to catching up with the West, and furthermore it has the equipment in large quantities. 'We've now seen Chinese weapons in action and the big question mark over the Chinese military build-up has been is their stuff actually any good?' said Tim Ripley, editor of the Defence Eye website. 'This suggests that it is.' Key to Pakistan's success was the PL-15E long range missile used in its combat debut to down the Rafale on India's side of the border. Once fired the PL-15E is blasted by a rocket booster to hypersonic speed of Mach 5 (6,200kph) then guided onto target by the J-10C fighter's radar before, in the closing stages, switching to its own Aesa radar. It can then hone in with accuracy with a second burst of speed being injected about 10km from target making it extremely difficult to evade. However, if the Rafales had been fitted with Aesa, then this would likely have picked up the threat from some distance. An Aesa radar would have potentially allowed the Rafale to jam the Pakistan fighter and the missile in its closing stages as it allows the jet to create of beam of focused electronic noise. 'It makes it really quick to neutralise a threat from one of these missiles,' said Mr Ripley. However, even if equipped with Aesa it is questionable whether the Rafale could have dodged the missile, said a leading defence company aviation expert. While the radar 'would help' its defences, missiles such as the PL-15E are so potent that 'once you've been locked on by one it's very difficult to get away from the kill zone because those missiles are so quick,' he added. Furthermore, if the missile detects jamming then it has the ability to quickly jump to another frequency. What is certain is that the Rafale wreckage, found near the Indian city of Bathinda, will be 'pored over by the French because they really will want to know what happened,' said Paul Beaver, a military aviation expert. Further humiliation for the Indians, as well as the French, was that its air force operates a wing of 36 Rafale F3Rs, the warplane's most advanced version. The aviation company source called it a 'big, big blow to the French' because Rafale had been 'touted as a cheap alternative' to the RAF Typhoon and American fighters. 'While pilot training could be part of the problem if you don't have the best equipment, then you are at a disadvantage,' he added. There is a suggestion that the shoot-downs could be attributed to pilot error although it also proves Pakistan's aerial combat skills. 'This demonstrates that the Pakistan Air Force is as effective as everyone always thinks it is. It's smaller than India's but makes up for it in training and motivation,' Mr Beaver said. If the PL-15E hit was confirmed this would be 'a very public demonstration of the prowess of Chinese military aerospace technologies', added Fabian Hoffmann, a missile specialist at the Centre for European Policy Analysis. The aerial battle also marks the start of a new era of aerial warfare in which the incident showed the 'very interesting development in long range missile snipers,' said Mr Ripley. 'Long range air-to-air combat is now a big trend in aerial warfare,' he added. 'On the back of this lots of the air forces will be busy trying to revamp their electronic warfare effectiveness trying to neutralise these missiles. It's a big growth area.'
