On January 15, 2024 the Ukrainian military shot down russian DRLV A-50 aircraft patrolling the waters of the Sea of Azov. It’s the first time in the world an DRLV A-50 aircraft has been shot down.
Later this news was confirmed by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Crew: 5 people;
Tactical crew: 10 people.
Death of a very valuable and trained crew + a very important aircraft, really very important.
A-50 detects long-range air targets. These systems can accompany their aircraft in the air and see cruise and ballistic missile launches, as well as air defense operations. Thus, during subsequent air defense launches, the enemy knows the location of Ukrainian anti-aircraft weapons and can bypass them.
A-50 is also capable of controlling the airspace where aviation operates, detecting targets, coordinating and directing its combat aircraft.
"One of the most difficult targets to defeat. In terms of protection, it is approximately equal to an aircraft carrier. And due to the power of its locator, it does not even need to fly away from its territory, it sees and knows everything anyway, and if it does fly, it is protected by such a number aircraft and air defense equipment, that if an anti-aircraft missile aircraft is ever hit, the crew of a fighter or an air defense system will immediately receive the highest award of their country."
