UAV Development & Drone Programs   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy & Military Strategy  

Ukraine converts Antonov An‑28 transports into STOL, minigun‑armed drone hunters; claims ~70 Shahed kills

Ukraine has converted Antonov An‑28 transports into short‑takeoff‑and‑landing, minigun‑armed drone hunters, claiming roughly 70 Iranian‑made Shahed loitering munitions shot down in about 70 missions. Kyiv and open‑source footage portray the rugged STOL turboprop as a low‑cost, effective counter‑UAS tactic against low‑speed threats.

Discovered 2026-02-04T20:15:27.701961-08:00 | 2026-02-04T20:15:27.701961-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Ukraine claims roughly 70 Shahed shootdowns using modified An‑28s, and one report ties these efforts to ~2% of Shahed attrition while noting the low-cost exchange versus air‑to‑air missiles.

  • The improvised, kinetic interceptor role for a legacy STOL transport highlights how fielded counter‑UAS options can complement formal systems such as Merops C‑UAS.

  • The development matters operationally because recovered Shahed loitering munitions have been found carrying Soviet R‑60 air‑to‑air missiles, a factor that raises risk to interceptors and complicates tactics for drone hunting recovery and analysis.

Reported By

uasvision.com sofrep.com trenchart.us The War Zone united24media.com Aviacionline
Sources Tracked
6
First Seen
2026-02-04T20:15:27.701961-08:00
Latest Update
2026-02-09T23:04:03.606666-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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