Reports are emerging that Belarusian partisans reportedly carried out a successful attack on a Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft while it was stationed at the Machulyshche airbase.
According to the Belarusian organization BYPOL, opposed to President Lukashenko’s government, an AEW&C A-50U aircraft was attacked and severely damaged by a special operation orchestrated by partisans of the so-called «Victory Plan».
According to information shared by BYPOL, the attack would have been carried out with two drones, which would have hit the front and center fuselage of the A-50U, causing extensive damage to the aircraft structure and radar radome. The aircraft was reportedly taken out of service for an undetermined period of time.
Following the incident, the police forces deployed an extensive operation to apprehend the perpetrators. Cars on the nearby highway were stopped and inspected. Their occupants were asked for their papers and even their cell phones were checked.
However, various sources report that the Belarusian partisans are reportedly already safely out of the country.
See also: The Ukrainian War: A Proxy Battle Between the East and West
Beriev A-50
The Beriev A-50 was a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD heavy military transport aircraft, equipped with a huge search radar on the fuselage.
The A-50 made its first flight in 1978, reaching initial operational capability in 1982. It was codenamed in the West as Mainstay. Production ceased in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. About 40 A-50 series aircraft were built, including modernized and export variants.
It is estimated that by the beginning of the war with Ukraine, the Russian Air Force was operating only about fifteen of these aircraft, of which some were the upgraded A-50M and seven modernized A-50U.
The much improved A-50U
The A-50U is a major modernization of the Soviet-era A-50, including the replacement of the aircraft’s main sensor with the new Shmel-M radar, which has greatly improved performance. The rest of the electronics are also completely renewed, as well as the systems operators’ workstations were upgraded with large, high-resolution LCD displays. The aircraft also has a new flight and navigation system. The digitalization and replacement of obsolete equipment lightened the aircraft’s weight, which improved its performance, in particular its flight autonomy.
If confirmed, the loss of this A-50U will represent a serious blow to the Russian Air Force’s operational capabilities in the Ukrainian theater, as they have very few modern AEW&C units available, and each of these aircraft is worth its weight in gold.
