Overview
- Footage posted Thursday by pilot Tymur Fatkullin shows a modified Antonov An-28 launching interceptor drones in combat, with him saying the tactic has already worked in real fights.
- The videos highlight Skyfall’s P1-Sun and include a training clip of a Merops AS-3 Surveyor, while the firm Wild Hornets said its Sting also launched from an An-28 during a mission and shared daytime footage.
- The turboprop now carries multiple drones on underwing pylons, and its short takeoff and long loiter let crews reach and set up near targets more quickly than ground teams.
- Air launches give interceptors extra altitude and starting speed, and Ukrainian developers are pushing these small drones past 200 miles per hour to catch faster Russian loitering munitions.
- Outlets describe the An-28 effort as moving from trials to field use within Ukraine’s rapid, low-cost counter-drone push, though outside verification of all claimed shootdowns remains limited.