Russian VM-V unmanned target helicopters. Photo: Technodinamika. Via The Defense Post.
The Russian military continues to use expendable aerial targets as decoys to test, deceive and deplete Ukrainian air defenses.
On April 20, Ukrainian sources shared photos showing what they claimed to be the wreckage of a Russian “rotary-wing drone” that was shot down with the British-made Starstreak man-portable air-defense system. However, the wreckage turned out be of a Russian-made VM-V helicopter target.
The VM-V target, which was developed by Russian defense contractor Technodinamika Group, has a flight duration of two hours, an operational range of 150 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 2.5 kilometers. The target was especially designed to simulate low-speed drones and helicopters while testing air defense systems.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
The Russian military has been using aerial decoys to deceive Ukrainian air defense since the start of the special operation in Ukraine. This tactic is meant to deplete Ukrainian air defense means as well as to expose their locations in order to destroy them with precision fire from a stand-off distance.
While the VM-V is being used to mimic low-speed aerial objects flying at a low altitude, other targets, like the jet-powered E95M, are being used to mimic high-speed aerial objects that fly at higher altitudes, for example fighter jets.
The Ukrainian air defense forces have already sustained heavy losses. According to the most recent briefing by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian military has destroyed 254 Ukrainian air defense systems since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine.
Kiev’s Western allies have been working nonstop to bolster the air defense capabilities of Ukrainian forces. However, their efforts have been meaningless, so far.
So these don’t have a Canon camera inside?
They have even that not, they are specialty designed for low and slow flying to imitate drones. Clever hee! A lot of inspiration went in this one!
No special design but a failed design. Claimed earlier as a asset to gather intelligence and attack plane.
Who needs to develop a slow flying drone to imitate slow and low flying objects? Fast flying, high altitude aNd low altitude But for low and slow you kan buy everything far cheaper as ussng Russia “ high tech”
Keep in mind that every time Ukraine fires a MANPADS it costs around $100 000. And every time they expose their firing positions it likely costs them at least a few lives. Use some common sense and just surrender!
Cost is not an issue, the west just prints money. If you look carefully Russia is adapting to the envelopes of these anti aircraft missiles and also the battlefield scenario is changing for Anti Tank missiles – there is less cover in an open battlefield with the terrain encountered in eastern Ukraine. Russia is now deploying decoys to suit every layer of Ukraine’s air defence systems. They are also getting valuable real world test and evaluation of western weapon systems, by generally offering the most minimal countermeasure. BTW these rotary decoys are very hard to spot with look down radars when they fly slow at low level, which is an added benefit. The ground has to engage them without that intelligence, and that gives away positions.
– Cost is not an issue, the west just prints money – nope. That money printing is creating high inflation and the sheeple are beginning to notice.
I think there can be little doubt that western countries have their populations under pretty good mind control – higher inflation blame Russia, higher fuel bills blame Russia, it’s raining blame Russia…. I just don’t see those sheepies leaving the pen, they will just jump in any oven to become a roast! The Western people are being conditioned into higher prices for western originated goods in replacement of cheaper alternatives. That is how the west aims to rebalance control.
The more important question is how can it be that the ukraine still has air defences. If the US was the attecker there would be nothing left which would not fit in the trunk of a car. I mean i am no friend of the us wars but they at least seem to have a plan to win the battle even if they have none for the ocupation afterwards.
I’m assuming it’s a genuine question. Air defence has be online and working to be detected or on the road where satellites or high altitude planes see and track them. In addition to that, there are passive air defences, virtually undetectable until they fire. The real danger to helicopters are MANPADS. A small group of less than 5 troops can operate and move. With these drones (if the retaliatory fire is ready) you can hunt them.
And the US way of war -bombing anything and everything out of existence, including civilians- is their own doctrine. Does it work? Well, from Korea to Syria, you tell me…
US military only good at carpet bombings which they have proven by countless civilians casualties in their hegemonic wars in Yoguslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria etc.
If Russia was to apply same indiscriminate tactics then this would have been over a lot quicker. At least Russia has some dignity and regard towards human life, which is not something you can claim about US military.
LOL. And which war exactly have they really won since WW2? US has managed to be at war almost constantly, has managed to turn countries into chaos and rubble, but have not been able to actually win a war.
Don’t paint a picture of the incredible success of American aviation by analyzing its victories over the Arab nations. The Slavs are a completely different level of opponent. For a start … America, all NATO members and some others from the side, against Yugoslavia, about 3000 NATO planes against 20 Yugoslav MiG-29s (all with faulty radars – a consequence of many years of sanctions) and ancient S-125 NEVA and 2K12 KUB. In three months of bombing, NATO did not destroy the Yugoslav Air Defense and insignificantly destroyed the military forces of the Yugoslav Army!
USAF even lost two F111A stealth bombers to Soviet era SAM in Yugoslavia, destroying the myth of invincible undetectable stealth. Thereafter, USAF stopped all F111 operation.
Without Serbia PM been cheated into surrender, USNato is still struggling in Serbia 100x worst than Iraq and Afgh.
“However, their efforts have been meaningless, so far.” Well… Russia still does not have air superiority over Ukraine, so it seems very meaningfull.
Russia has air superiority over Ukraine, Strela, Igla, Stinger and all other popularly called MANPADS have a range of up to 4 km in height. Above that, Russian planes are unreachable. All air defense systems that can shoot at much greater distances require active radar operation, and active radar is a direct and very short path to disaster …
That may be the best use of rotary-wing drones I ever saw. It takes a helicopter to mimic a helicopter. We need to get serious about them too.
[ back to drawing board with more coffee ]
More coffee? And here I was expecting you to take on your projects with chai…
Oh, the coffee is for spilling on the drawing board since I no longer have any dogs to pretend they ate my homework! Otherwise, nothing beats Lahijan Spring Chai.
What I understand with the western Countries is that the moment they discover what they are giving Ukraine is not helpful the west will just go slow on reporting about Ukraine and the comedy zelensky having in the media will slow.thats when he will be left to fight and play comedy alone.Putin understands what he is doing and knows how to outsmart the West to achieve his goal.
That’s exactly how Ukranian forces destroyed the Moskva. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? The Russian morons that keep adding to the war of attrition by going straight to their deaths like idiotic zombies?
Look like Azerbaijan is millions times smarter than clumsy Russians. They sent obsolete antique planes into Armenia air space with pilot ejected as decoys to deplete their SAM and expose the air defense locations for Turkey’s TB2 precision attack.
Cheap $1Mil TB2 also work as superb 24hrs loitering surveillance with Canada’s high definition camera, striking all valuable assets and haunted Armenians with no place to hide.
Lacking drones, Russia sent in its helicopters, Su34 & Su35 with pilots for surveillance and bombing, flying low to be shot down easily. To save its limited smart bombs, MiG31 has to fly very low to drop obsolete Soviet dumb bombs and got shot down too. Its a big mess of embarrass.
Russia also sent thousands of tanks, armoured & supply trucks in 30km convoys for Ukraine’s TB2 drones and antitank missile practising. All without infrared sensors drones for constant surveillance to detect any ambush. There are also no infantry to safeguard entire supply lines. Its a reckless suicidal mission like salmons rushing upstream during hatching season.