Russia converts planes older than Putin to launch drone killers — 80-year-old An-2 set to get FPV interceptors to down Ukrainian UAV

Putin's oldest aircraft return to war with a surprising FPV drone killer upgrade

by · TechRadar

News By Efosa Udinmwen Published 24 July 2026

(Image credit: The Aviationist)

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  • Russia arms Soviet-era aircraft with airborne FPV interceptor drone launch systems
  • Yak-52 trainer receives six launch rails for interceptor drone operations
  • Eighty-year-old An-2 gains unexpected role in modern aerial drone warfare

Russia has begun fitting Yak-52 trainer aircraft and An-2 utility planes with equipment designed for launching FPV interceptor drones against enemy UAVs.

A video released by the Russian unit BARS-Sarmat revealed two distinct aircraft configurations built for airborne drone launches.

One configuration is intended for ground launch, while the second version allows interceptor drones to be deployed directly from the air against approaching targets.

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Yak-52 trials raise questions over cockpit space and drone targets

The Yak-52 trainer aircraft carries six external launch rails mounted beneath its wings to hold interceptor drones ready for deployment.

The footage shows the aircraft taking off while carrying only four drones despite six visible launch positions on the airframe.

The Yak-52 is designed with a limited two-seat cockpit space, making it unclear how drone control is performed aboard this aircraft, as it appears to leave little room for equipment typically required to operate FPV interceptor systems mid-flight.

Russian interceptor drones were also shown engaging several Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles during the same exercise.

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