The Russians lost an A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft with the flight number RF-50601 “Krasny” in the sky over Ukraine. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially confirmed the information about the destruction of the Russian A-50 by the Air Force. It is also reported that the Il-22M11 command post aircraft was damaged.
This is a significant blow to the Russian Aerospace Forces, and the Russian defence-industrial complex will not be able to easily compensate for this loss. Neither Zaluzhnyi nor the command of the Armed Forces did not specify which weapons were used to destroy enemy aircraft far from the combat line.
The A-50, developed based on the Il-76 military transport aircraft, is used for long-range radar detection and control. During the times of the USSR, about 31 such aircraft were produced, but only about 12 working examples remained. The aircraft is equipped with the “Shmel” radio-technical complex based on the “Argon-50” on-board electronic computer.
The “Bumblebee” complex includes:
- Three-coordinate radar with a passive direction-finding channel
- equipment for recording and displaying the received information
- a system of active request-response and transmission of commands or targeting information to interceptors
- a digital computing complex for solving management tasks, directing fighters to air targets
- radio control command line equipment
- communication system, ZAS and telecode equipment
- documentation equipment
- system of state recognition.
A-50 is used for reconnaissance of air, ground and surface targets. The aircraft can detect ballistic missile flares at a distance of up to 800 kilometres and escort aircraft and cruise missiles at a distance of up to 700 kilometres. It can also provide external targeting to fighters and be used as an air command post.
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