Hello everybody! Because it seems that there is a hunting season for Russian A-50s in Ukraine, every February, and in the wake of already the second such loss within a month (for the first one, see here), there are lots of questions in style of, ‘and how many (Beriyev) A-50 SDRLO (AEW) aircraft are left in Russia’? So, I thought: OK, lets check. In a matter of some 30 minutes of browsing around the social media came into being the following ‘photo-review’.
Thanks for the update. Given the low number of A50s around the hunting must be very difficult. We can assume that evry such planer downed hurts, but I guess Russias use was allready limited. So loosing more of your limited use isnt that critical. Of course every bit hjelps. And it seems to be hunting seasins fir Su-34 and Su-35 as well. Good. If we now only could send Ukraine artillery grenades in volumet…
Thanks for report. I have a question about umpk. As I know test in Australia showed that it is possible to throw JDam from low altitudes and that they are able to endure such overloads. In case if Russians will not be able to throw bombs from high altitudes, can Umpk also endure it too ?
Have they identified by the pattern and shape of the holes made by the strike elements of the heavy SAM that hit the plane? Looks like the wreck is thoroughly pictured.
Thanks Tom very interesting read about these aircraft, lets hope if they have more usable one they fly them close the UAF air defenses and try they luck again
Nope. Thanks to idiotic Western governments, they've been abandoned to the mercy of Turkey and Qatar, and these two are supporting either:
- groups that are subjecting themselves to the political control of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (Turkey), or
- groups that are subjecting themselves to the political control of the HTS (former Jabahat an-Nusra, which split from al-Qaeda, and then from the IS, back in 2013-2014; this is valid for Qatar-supported groups).
And since both Turkey and Qatar were subsequently isolated on the international plan, and thus are not keen to re-light the war, none of groups there is receiving enough aid to re-commence fighting Assadists, IRGC, and/or the Russians.
Two questions, one directly related to the subject, another - no at all:
1. Has there ever been an instance when 2 or more A-50s were in the air, with overlapping coverage zones? Is it possible that they might have some unresolved mutual interference issues?
2. What's your take on the number of Ukrainian KIA voiced by Zelensky?
I used to look at this site: https://ualosses.org/soldiers/, and consider its numbers to be a lower-bound estimate, and it stands at ~42K at this moment. I do not know who's running this site, and how trustworthy it is, but given its public nature, it's hard to imagine the numbers there being grossly exaggerated.
1.) Yes. Early during the war, there was regularly one A-50 on station over southern Belarus (guiding air strikes in the Kyiv area), and another slightly further east (guiding air strikes in the Czernihiv area).
According to ISW Budanov stated that there are 6 left, with Budanov style remarks about the next one. Seems like he is counting one other type as well as operational or your star on the end is more than a suspicion.
Hi Tom, thanks for the update! Have just checked the Belarusian Hajun TG channel, and information they provided is pretty close to what you've described.
According to Belarusian Hajun , VKS RF had 9 A-50U as of September 2023: RF-93966 (37), RF-94268 (41), RF-50610 (42), RF-50608 (43), RF-93952 (45), RF-50602 (33), RF-92957 (47), RF-50601 (50) and the latest upgraded RF-50606 (51).
There were at least 5 of them in Belarus during the full-scale invasion and took turns on duty from 22-Feb-2022 to 02-Mar-2023 (there were no A50 in Belarus since then).
The list of those 5 was something like:
RF-93966 (37) «Sergey Ataiantz»
RF-94268 (41)
RF-50610 (42)
RF-50608 (43)
RF-93952 (45)
Interesting that 3 of 5 are downed or damaged:
- RF-50608 (43) – damaged in Machulishchy on 26-Feb-2023. then relocated to Taganrog for repair and was not airborne since then.
- RF-93966 (37) – reportedly downed on 14.01.2024.
Hajun group assessment is that Russia has 6 more operational A50-U. That said, in order to patrol one zone around the clock, shift work of at least four aircraft is required (including crew rest time). Accordingly, taking into account the length of the front line, the Russians now have enough remaining aircraft right next to each other, and like Budanov said - 'one more down - and around the clock patrol will not be possible..."
So we just need to wait and see if two remaining A50-U that 'visited' Belarus are doomed same way as three others....
Thanks for the update. Given the low number of A50s around the hunting must be very difficult. We can assume that evry such planer downed hurts, but I guess Russias use was allready limited. So loosing more of your limited use isnt that critical. Of course every bit hjelps. And it seems to be hunting seasins fir Su-34 and Su-35 as well. Good. If we now only could send Ukraine artillery grenades in volumet…
Another excellent Sunday write up.
Many thanks and happy weekend!
Great update thank you.
Thanks for report. I have a question about umpk. As I know test in Australia showed that it is possible to throw JDam from low altitudes and that they are able to endure such overloads. In case if Russians will not be able to throw bombs from high altitudes, can Umpk also endure it too ?
Have they identified by the pattern and shape of the holes made by the strike elements of the heavy SAM that hit the plane? Looks like the wreck is thoroughly pictured.
Thanks Tom . .
Thanks Tom very interesting read about these aircraft, lets hope if they have more usable one they fly them close the UAF air defenses and try they luck again
at least one is operating in Syria, or was operating recently
There were two in Syria, on temporary duty, back in 2017-2018. Then again one, in 2020 or so. They're all long since back in Russia.
i wonder if anti-Assad forces in Syria are in better position since then
Nope. Thanks to idiotic Western governments, they've been abandoned to the mercy of Turkey and Qatar, and these two are supporting either:
- groups that are subjecting themselves to the political control of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (Turkey), or
- groups that are subjecting themselves to the political control of the HTS (former Jabahat an-Nusra, which split from al-Qaeda, and then from the IS, back in 2013-2014; this is valid for Qatar-supported groups).
And since both Turkey and Qatar were subsequently isolated on the international plan, and thus are not keen to re-light the war, none of groups there is receiving enough aid to re-commence fighting Assadists, IRGC, and/or the Russians.
Thanks. Just a little nitpick: it's SDRLO, not SRDLO. "RL" letters stand for radio location, so they go together. :)
You have not mentioned the A-50 hit by Wagner during the Prigozhin's mutiny or you consider this information being a fake?
It was Il-22, not A-50.
thanks for the information
I doubt that NATO would fly any AWACS anywhere near Russian border, like they do now, in case of full blown war!
Tom:
Two questions, one directly related to the subject, another - no at all:
1. Has there ever been an instance when 2 or more A-50s were in the air, with overlapping coverage zones? Is it possible that they might have some unresolved mutual interference issues?
2. What's your take on the number of Ukrainian KIA voiced by Zelensky?
I used to look at this site: https://ualosses.org/soldiers/, and consider its numbers to be a lower-bound estimate, and it stands at ~42K at this moment. I do not know who's running this site, and how trustworthy it is, but given its public nature, it's hard to imagine the numbers there being grossly exaggerated.
1.) Yes. Early during the war, there was regularly one A-50 on station over southern Belarus (guiding air strikes in the Kyiv area), and another slightly further east (guiding air strikes in the Czernihiv area).
2.) Yup, Zelensky's is a lower-bound estimate.
Airframe loss is bad, but those aircrew are not your run-of-the mill officers. I'm betting that hurts more than the hardware loss
TOM: are you sure that you are not BRAIN in some kind of disguise. Your assessment is a little too 'Precise' and a little too 'Concise.'
Curious...............?
Why not the Pinky? :P
Y-Knot the PINKY????
A) you are not Communist, thus you are not a RED. Therefore you can not be a PINKO COMMUNIST or PINKY.
2) you are not a REDHEAD.....again...not red....can't be PINK or PINKY.
*) you are FAR too smart to be Pinky.
XXX) "I think so, Brain, but how are we going to make pencils that taste like bacon? Or maybe we should make bacon that tastes like pencils. NARF!"
BLUE) I already am PINKY so :o)~
According to ISW Budanov stated that there are 6 left, with Budanov style remarks about the next one. Seems like he is counting one other type as well as operational or your star on the end is more than a suspicion.
Hi Tom, thanks for the update! Have just checked the Belarusian Hajun TG channel, and information they provided is pretty close to what you've described.
According to Belarusian Hajun , VKS RF had 9 A-50U as of September 2023: RF-93966 (37), RF-94268 (41), RF-50610 (42), RF-50608 (43), RF-93952 (45), RF-50602 (33), RF-92957 (47), RF-50601 (50) and the latest upgraded RF-50606 (51).
There were at least 5 of them in Belarus during the full-scale invasion and took turns on duty from 22-Feb-2022 to 02-Mar-2023 (there were no A50 in Belarus since then).
The list of those 5 was something like:
RF-93966 (37) «Sergey Ataiantz»
RF-94268 (41)
RF-50610 (42)
RF-50608 (43)
RF-93952 (45)
Interesting that 3 of 5 are downed or damaged:
- RF-50608 (43) – damaged in Machulishchy on 26-Feb-2023. then relocated to Taganrog for repair and was not airborne since then.
- RF-93966 (37) – reportedly downed on 14.01.2024.
- RF-50610 (42) – reportedly downed 23.02.2024....
Hajun group assessment is that Russia has 6 more operational A50-U. That said, in order to patrol one zone around the clock, shift work of at least four aircraft is required (including crew rest time). Accordingly, taking into account the length of the front line, the Russians now have enough remaining aircraft right next to each other, and like Budanov said - 'one more down - and around the clock patrol will not be possible..."
So we just need to wait and see if two remaining A50-U that 'visited' Belarus are doomed same way as three others....