Russia says the A-50 can now interact with S-400 systems to guide anti-aircraft missiles
The day before, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry announced that 24 Ukrainian aircraft had been downed over the past five days. Following this statement, TASS journalists published an article suggesting that this was made possible by the use of an A-50 UAV to guide missiles from the S-400.
We should definitely not take Sergei Shoigu’s words at face value. He claims that Ukraine lost 515 aircraft during the full-scale war. According to Military Balance, in 2021, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had 79 aircraft at their disposal. As for the minister’s statement about using the A-50 in tandem with the S-400, it may be true.
The TASS report claims that the S-400 missiles were launched at maximum range. The air targets were at an altitude of about 1 km. The 40N6 is considered the longest-range missile. Its declared flight range is 380 km. Unlike the 48N6DM missile with a range of 250 kilometers, the 40N6 is equipped with a combined guidance system, not a radio command system.
If a missile is launched from the ground at a target at an altitude of 1 km, the radio range for the S-400 radar will be 140 km. Theoretically, the A-50 can act as a targeting device for the 40H6 missile, thus providing it with the maximum range.
