An-28 Aircraft Reconfigured as Flying Drone Platform to Hunt Russian Shahed UAVs

The concept is intended as a cheaper alternative to air-to-air missiles, relying instead on small, reusable interceptor drones launched from the air. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Training launch of P1-SUN interceptor drones from an An-28 aircraft. April 23, 2026. Source: aero.tim Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Ukraine has begun deploying a modified An-28 aircraft as an airborne platform to launch interceptor drones designed to destroy Russian Shahed-type attack UAVs, according to newly released footage. Several P1-SUN interceptor drones, developed by Ukrainian company SkyFall, have been air-launched directly from the aircraft to engage incoming targets before they reach their destinations. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Video published by operator aero.tim on Instagram shows the An-28 equipped with multiple external mounts – at least three per wing – allowing it to carry up to six interceptor drones. The aircraft has also been fitted with an optical targeting system for detecting enemy drones in flight. The concept is intended as a cheaper alternative to air-to-air missiles, relying instead on small, reusable interceptor drones launched from the air. Alongside Ukrainian systems, engineers have also tested other interceptor platforms during training flights, including US-made Merops drones currently trialed in Ukraine. Training launch of Merops interceptor drones from an An-28 aircraft. April 23, 2026. Source: aero.tim Other Topics of Interest Budanov: Ukraine Not Losing War but Needs AI Breakthrough to Win Drone Race The head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office said the country is not losing the war but needs an AI-driven technological leap to stay ahead in the escalating drone race with Russia. Originally developed by the Antonov Design Bureau and produced in Poland, the An-28 is a light twin-engine transport aircraft typically used for short-haul passenger and cargo flights, now repurposed for aerial drone interception missions. The An-28’s role as a drone-hunting platform was first revealed in February, when a French TV crew accompanied a Ukrainian team hunting Russian drones aboard an An-28 cargo plane armed with M134 miniguns. The  TF1  crew, which accompanied a four-person team on a night sortie on an unspecified date, reported that the men had volunteered their service to the military as civilians and were called in to help intercept drones after they were spotted in the skies. In those operations, ground controllers direct the aircraft toward drone activity, after which the crew visually identifies targets in night conditions. Equipping Shahed drones with anti-air missiles does not appear to be part of serial production, but isolated, officially confirmed reports have documented improvised solutions, including Soviet  R60 air-to-air missiles  found on downed drones and sightings of  shoulder-fired air-defense launchers  incorporated onto the drones. The An-28, reported by TF1, is part of Ukraine’s broader effort to find cost-effective ways  to counter threats from low-cost kamikaze drones. Given the cost disparity between  $20,000 Shahed-style drones  and US Patriot missiles costing  up to $7 million , Ukraine has pledged to scale up low-cost interceptor drones to counter the threat, such as the  OCTOPUS drones  developed and produced jointly with the UK. Equipping An-28 with miniguns would be another approach being pursued, but the overall cost against major Russian attacks remains high – on Jan. 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it cost Kyiv  nearly $100 million  to fend off an overnight attack the same day. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.