Recent reports have confirmed that in January of this year, Ukraine successfully used a U.S.-made Patriot missile to shoot down a valuable Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft over the Black Sea. This was a significant blow to Russia, as the Russian military only has a few operational A-50 aircraft, which are crucial for their aerial operations.
According to information from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Russian A-50 long-range radar surveillance and control aircraft was worth 330 million U.S. dollars.
The high-tech A-50 plays a vital role in Russia’s aerial operations for early warning, command, and control, as reported by both Business Insider and The War Zone. Rosanna Clemente, Assistant Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army’s Air Defense and Missile Defense Command, confirmed last month at an event that Ukraine used the Patriot missile system to shoot down the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft in January. She described this operation as Ukraine’s “SAMbush” (Surface-to-Air Missile Ambush).
“They now have about a battalion of Patriots operating in Ukraine,” she said. “Some of them are being used to protect fixed locations and critical national infrastructure. Others are being deployed to do some truly historic things that I haven’t seen in my 22 years in air defense. One of them is SAMbush.” She mentioned that Ukraine has been conducting surface-to-air missile ambushes.
“They are using extremely mobile Patriot systems donated by Germany to do this because these systems are all mounted on trucks. So, they are moving around and using these systems,” she added. Clemente noted that the Ukrainian air defense unit “used this tactic to engage the first A-50 C2 system in January.”
It was reported that all 15 crew members aboard the A-50 perished in the incident.
Clemente also shared interesting details about how Ukrainian soldiers utilized these specialized systems to enhance their capabilities, including a verification training exercise in Poland in April 2023 involving U.S. military participation.
She recounted how German instructors responsible for training Ukrainian troops to use the mobile Patriot system woke them up in the middle of the night, brought them to a simulated air combat location, and had them act again. “I was wondering why they were doing this at the time. A month later, they conducted the first ambush, shooting down a Russian Su-27 fighter jet on the border with Russia,” Clemente said.
The A-50, manufactured by the Russian company Beriev, is a crucial reconnaissance aircraft that helps Russia detect incoming Ukrainian missiles and identify ground targets. It also serves as a mobile command and control center, directing Russian airstrikes and other attacks. With a range of over 3,000 miles, it can stay airborne for about 8 hours.
Ukraine claims that its forces shot down a second A-50 in February. The Ukrainian military has not formally disclosed the weapon used in this incident. A Ukrainian official confirmed to The War Zone that the second A-50 was taken down by the Soviet-era S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) long-range air defense missile.
Kyrylo Budanov, Director of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Intelligence Agency, stated in February that following the recent two A-50 shootdowns, the Russian military is left with only six operational A-50 spy planes. If one more is shot down, the Russian armed forces will be unable to deploy them around the clock.
British intelligence agencies have stated that the A-50 is crucial for Russia’s operations over Ukraine, providing aerial warning and command and control capabilities against threats faced by the Russian military.
The Institute for the Study of War mentioned that in March, Ukraine also attempted an attack on the Beriev factory where Russia refurbishes and modernizes its A-50 reconnaissance aircraft.
Business Insider reported that Russian sources claimed the factory was repairing an A-50 damaged in a drone attack.
In May 2023, Ukraine began advancing Patriot missile systems into Russian-controlled airspace. Notably, a series of Russian aircraft were shot down over Russian territory bordering northeastern Ukraine. Among them may have been the Su-27 mentioned by Clemente (or possibly another variant of flanker aircraft). The downing of the A-50 this year may represent Ukraine’s most significant single victory achieved with the Patriot system to date.
Colonel Clemente emphasized that in a bold tactical move, the Ukrainian military appears to have not only pushed the Patriot system to its operational limits but may have also deployed it to very forward positions.