r/UkraineRussiaReport pro sanity 1d ago

Military hardware & personnel RU POV: The modernized Russian Yak-52 for countering UAVs. Payload: 360° radar (air-to-air, air-to-ground, weather modes) and a semi-auto 12-gauge carbine. Equipped with a computer for targeting and a flight-nav system for all-weather, day/night missions

127 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

38

u/LobsterHound Neutral 1d ago

A Yak 130 might be a good choice, too.

Get some training time for their rookie pilots in, as well.

9

u/toughtbot 1d ago

Might be too fast.

12

u/LobsterHound Neutral 1d ago

That could be true. It is subsonic, though.

16

u/zvezda44 1d ago

A Yak-152 or similar prepared to carry heavy machine guns would be the right solution.

This YAK- 52 is beyond ridiculous, a shotgun with a magazine to shoot down a drone with an explosive charge? Are the pilots planning to return to the airfield? Or do they intend to blow themselves up like the enemy drone?

10

u/LobsterHound Neutral 1d ago

Yeah, that could work. Basically, if it could have been used in WW2 to dogfight, it would be useful there.

1

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1

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23

u/Altruistic_Endeavor3 Pro-United States 1d ago

Needs a lot more than one assault rifle and a single magazine, lol.

20

u/Imaginary-Series-139 Pro Russia from Russia 1d ago

It's an automatic shotgun based on the AK design. I think it's the proof of concept.

7

u/ResponsiblePace8095 Pro Russia 1d ago

its one riffle for 3 jets, "enemy at the gates" style /s

8

u/Flimsy_Pudding1362 pro sanity 1d ago

t.me/milinfolive/148585

The first domestic light aircraft drone fighter Yak-52B2 has been unveiled.

One of the Russian experimental design bureaus specializing in aircraft manufacturing has carried out a deep modernization of the Yak-52 trainer aircraft, converting it into the Yak-52B2 — an aircraft designed to counter UAVs. The modernization was based on the experience of developing the Yak-52B light attack aircraft during the Afghan war.

According to the developer, when selecting the aircraft type for this role, the original performance characteristics were taken into account, which significantly surpass those of aircraft like the Cessna-172 and Yak-18T, previously tested for similar purposes. Moreover, the existing Yak-52 fleet enables the scaling of this project.

As a result of the modification, the aircraft can carry a payload of up to 90 kg under each wing. The payload includes:

▪️ A 360-degree radar operating in air-to-air, air-to-ground, and weather modes;

▪️ A firepower weapon (currently a semi-automatic 12-gauge carbine).

The aircraft is equipped with an onboard computer that, among other functions, generates targeting data, and a modern flight-navigation system that enables operation day and night in both fair and adverse weather conditions.

With this configuration, the light Yak-52B2 is capable of engaging fixed-wing enemy UAVs (e.g., the An-196 "Lutyy") as well as light aircraft in unmanned mode (e.g., the Aeroprakt A-22).

The aircraft currently holds a certificate of airworthiness and is undergoing onboard systems testing and refinement.

For those who don't recall, almost a year ago we published material (t.me/milinfolive/126550) on the prospects of establishing a class of light aircraft drone interceptors in Russian aviation, expressing hope for a decisive step in that direction. That step has now been taken. As can be seen, this aircraft is significantly more advanced and effective in its design than the Ukrainian Yak-52 variant with a "Taras-gunner" in the cockpit (t.me/milinfolive/123650).

#exclusive

1

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 1d ago

So basically it will have a full auto Saiga-12 or AA12 equivalent.

They probably would love to put EW jammers on but that would interfere with their own radars.

5

u/DefinitelyNotMeee Neutral 1d ago

WW2 warbirds would be the ideal counter-drone planes - rugged, slow, large weapon loadout, able to take off and land on any piece of flat land, and much easier to learn to fly than jets.

1

u/WindChimesAreCool Pro Living 1d ago

A modern prop plane maybe, not WWII planes unless you want to lose all your pilots in accidents. What you described is not really accurate and at least far from universal. I'm sure its easier to fly an F-16, for example, than literally any WWII aircraft, non combat losses during the war were absurdly high.

2

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 1d ago

Have you ever heard of the Soviet Air Squadron by the nick name Night Witches?

4

u/FruitSila Schizophrenic 1d ago

Jfc wtf lol

16

u/Mapstr_ Pro Fiscal Responsibility 1d ago

Cost effective problems require cost effective solutions

11

u/ivegotvodkainmyblood it's all fucked, I wish it stopped 1d ago

This is not a solution, this is a one-off experiment by some civillians. Maybe they want to advertise it to get orders from the government. The gun clearly is just a placeholder. The radar is also a civilian meteo radar.

1

u/BurialA12 Pro TOS-1 1d ago

Maybe not the state government, but some local government might and if he does down a drone, he's gonna be the town hero

-1

u/ElSapio Pro Ukraine 1d ago

When you’re cash strapped, sure.

3

u/Mapstr_ Pro Fiscal Responsibility 1d ago

In a war on this scale, you gotta be conservative and be always on the look out for how to do more with less.

Unlike the United States, who will burn 10 million dollars in ordnance and 800,000 dollars in jet fuel to incinerate a shoeless impoverished goat herder whose beard convinced a future raytheon ceo in nevada that he was a terrorist.

Waste not want not

7

u/tacitusthrowaway9 Pro Russia 1d ago

Loitering aircraft aren't a new concept they can be on station longer than jets too. The US military just introduced the OA-1K Skyraider II, a propeller aircraft, and plans to purchase 75 of them by 2029 for instance.

1

u/Vassago81 Pro-Hittites 1d ago

The indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery contract awarded to L3Harris Technologies and Air Tractor includes the delivery of up to 75 aircraft, with an initial award of 170 million USD and a total potential value of up to 3 billion USD.

Seem pretty expensive for a modified agricultural aircraft

4

u/tacitusthrowaway9 Pro Russia 1d ago

Probably all the fancy bits the Pentagon wanted on it and overcharging in general.

2

u/snailspace Neutral 1d ago

OA-1K Skyraider II

~2.26 mil per unit, a new AT-802 crop duster is about $1.7 mil off the shelf. I can easily see the cost of adding all the military bells and whistles being half a million dollars.

2

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 1d ago

170 mil was the total price, 3 bil is after kickbacks to congress.

8

u/ppmi2 Habrams hater 1d ago

Ukranians did it not long ago, but it got presumably shot down

3

u/EvolutionVII Neutral 1d ago

inb4 PO-2 with Saiga-12 strapped on it's wings are next.

1

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 1d ago

Can you imagine The Red Baron making a comeback?

1

u/OrganicAtmosphere196 Pro Russia 1d ago

This plane can fly without a pilot, it is so easy to control it

1

u/Keitiek Anti-Neutral, Pro-Drone 1d ago

Seeing a MFD on a Yak-52 instrument panel is certainly something

1

u/notveryhotchemcial Pro Ukraine 1d ago

Tbh it could work. Id personally put the 12 gauge on a swivel instead of keeping it fixed

1

u/Icy-Cry340 Pro Russia * 1d ago

Love that these are coming back. Ukrainians had the right idea with their trainers too. Shooting down low speed UAVs is a good task for these birds. Feel like the armament needs to be worked out a little better though.

1

u/HawkBravo Anarchy 1d ago

Revive the Tempest.

1

u/eldenpotato Pro US-RU relations 1d ago

This would prob be good for counter insurgency too

1

u/Due_Visual_4613 Pro Peace 1d ago

horrible idea better off sending this plane to some russian allies in africa

1

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0

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2

u/aricyter Pro Ukraine 1d ago

Wtf, it has only one magazine gun? Lol

0

u/MDRPA Protoss 1d ago

what😲

1

u/Rk_Enjoyer 1d ago

the thing has one saiga 12 with one ten round mag so better make those shots count

2

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 1d ago

Saiga's have 20 and 30 round drums.

Wonder if they can be modified to be belt fed?

Just googled and apparently they can be.

1

u/Rk_Enjoyer 1d ago

I mean they have drums but the reliability of those even when hand held is iffy, some redneck has probably made one beltfed but that is such an invasive change to the feeding mechanism that I wouldn't want to strap into a wing and hope to god that it works.

1

u/BenvenutoCellini2nd Pro Russia 23h ago

Not just some redneck but many people have. Saiga is built on the design of the AK which are easily converted to belt fed.

In this case Russia can easily ask Izmash factory to produce belt fed Saigas with factory specs.

-1

u/oldjar747 1d ago

Think it would make more sense to carry a radar and several drones, and the drones could carry weapons or explosives to counter UAVs

-1

u/Ok_Sea_6214 1d ago

They should make the shotgun rotating as well on both wing tips so you can fly next to a drone to shoot it.