TacticRU milblogger

Russian army aviation shifts to drone-cueing model: UAV locates, aircraft strikes from stand-off

Published 13 September 2026

Russian military analysis describes a structural shift in fixed-wing and rotary employment since early in the war: direct front-line operations by Ka-52, Mi-28 and Su-25 became unsustainable as air-defence density rose, and these platforms now operate in a drone-enabled stand-off role where UAVs locate targets and pass coordinates for strikes from range. The analysis identifies the Zaporizhzhia counter-offensive and the Kursk incursion as the last episodes of mass helicopter-ATGM engagements at the front; close air support since then has shifted primarily to UAVs and UMPC-guided glide bombs.

Sources — 1 post

Rybar adversary13 Sep 2026 Open the post

Topicsdrones

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