Ukrainian Helicopters Emerge as a Top Weapon Against Iranian-made Drones
The war in Ukraine has become a live-fire laboratory for new aerial combat tactics, revealing an unexpected role for helicopters. Ukrainian aircrews are now using Soviet-era Mi-24 Hind helicopters to actively hunt and destroy Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. This tactic positions the helicopters as a cost-effective aerial defense platform, using machine guns and cannons instead of expensive surface-to-air missiles. These engagements, often happening at night with the help of ground spotters, mark a significant evolution in air warfare. The strategy showcases how legacy aircraft are being adapted to counter modern, low-cost drone threats on a dynamic battlefield.
Official Source: https://theaircurrent.com/defense/drone-warfare-iran-ukraine-new-battlefield-roles-helicopters-shahed/
Related Aviation News:
- Cheap, lethal and hard to stop: how Hezbollah imported Ukraine war drone tactics to Lebanon
- Ukrainian FPV drone downed Russian Ka-52 helicopter – then Magyar's Birds came back to finish the crew
- Russian weapons, tactics seen in Ukraine are shaping Myanmar’s civil war
- French Army leaders say Ukraine changing helicopter operations, not ending them
- Russians now attach fake missiles to Shahed drones – expert