The Russians' new tactic regarding the Ukrainian F-16s. R-60 air-to-air missiles installed on Shahed drones

After almost four years of war against Ukraine, Russia is turning to an innovation. For the first time, an R-60 air-to-air missile was discovered integrated on a Russian Shahed drone, according to DefenseRomania.ro.

Shahed drone on which the Russians integrated the R-60. PHOTO Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov, social media

The Russian R-60 integrated air-to-air missile drone was reported by Ukrainian electronic warfare and military communications expert Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov on his Telegram channel.

The combination is a new attempt by Russia to counter Ukraine's helicopters and fighter jets, which are used to shoot down these drones, according to him.

Images published on social media show the downing of one such Shahed drone equipped with an R-60 air-to-air missile by Ukrainian servicemen of the Darknode Battalion of the 412th Nemesis Brigade.

“Here we must remember that Ukraine heavily uses Western fighter jets, including F-16s and Mirage 2000s to engage Russian drones and missiles that the occupier uses daily in wave attacks. As our publication also recently showed, citing data provided by the Air Force Command of Ukraine, since receiving the F-16s, the Ukrainians have rapidly integrated them into the air defense system. The Ukrainians' Fs have managed to date more than 300 strikes on Russian ground targets, but also a decisive contribution to the interception of more than 1,300 air threats“, notes DefenseRomania.ro.

For the first time, an R-60 air-to-air missile was spotted on Shahed.

As a rule, these R-60 air-to-air missiles that the Russians have now premiered on Shahed drones are integrated on multiple types of Soviet aircraft, such as MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29, Su-24 or Su-25.

“Today, for the first time, an R-60 air-to-air missile was spotted on Shahed. The integration is aimed at destroying helicopters and tactical aviation aircraft that are tracking these drones,” explained the Ukrainian expert Serghei Beskrestnov.

Defense Express says the R-60 missile, developed in the 1960s, has a range of up to 7 km in the standard version and up to 8 km in the upgraded R-60M version. However, at low altitudes, the effective range drops to about 1.5 km.

“Although it weighs only 44 kg, the explosive charge reaches 3 kg, respectively 3.5 kg for the R-60M variant of the 70s. However, the technical problems of the system are obvious. The missile uses an infrared target identification system OGS-60TI “Komar”, with a narrow detection angle of only 24 degrees, or 34 degrees in the upgraded version OGO-75 “Komar-M”. Thus, in order for the missile to capture the target, the drone operator must precisely orient the drone and keep the Ukrainian aircraft in the missile's field of view until the target is locked,” shows the cited source.

According to the estimates of Ukrainian experts, the drones are equipped with mesh modems, which practically transform the device into a large FPV. This adaptation significantly increases the danger to Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft used to intercept Shahed drones.

According to the Ukrainians, the integration of R-60 air-to-air missiles on Shahed drones, Russia not only aims to hit the planes or helicopters engaged in shooting down the drones, but can also use them for the purpose of escorting other long-range attack drones, which could require a review of air defense tactics and the mode of operation of the Ukrainian military aviation.

The technical artifice that the Russians resort to by integrating air-to-air missiles on drones comes after, writes the Ukrainian agency Unian, citing Business Insider, Russia is increasingly testing Shahed drones in hunting roles against Ukrainian aviation, a phenomenon that marks a new stage of Russian tactics.

Yuri Mironenko, the Deputy Minister of Defense, confirmed that the operation of these drones from the ground, in real time, significantly complicates their interception. In addition, some drones are already equipped with rear-facing cameras designed to detect aircraft or helicopters in pursuit.

Ukrainian authorities warn that Russia has invested heavily in the development and modernization of drones over the past year, and adaptations such as the integration of R-60 missiles could indicate a major strategic shift in the way airstrikes are conducted.