Small aviation may acquire an unexpected combat role in the context of widespread drone use. Light aircraft are proposed to be used as relatively simple aerial platforms for detecting and engaging groups of UAVs – and the technical basis for such an approach already exists in Russia, according to Sergey Detenyshev, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Small Aviation Enterprises.
Now, in the conditions of a "drone war," small aviation could play a decisive role. Put a radar, MANPADS on it – and small aviation will identify and shoot down swarms of drones in large quantities.
The essence of the concept, according to the aviation expert, lies precisely in its mass appeal: instead of expending expensive combat aviation resources on every relatively small aerial target, a simpler machine can be sent into the sky, capable of long patrols and engaging multiple threats at once.
Russia already has a striking example of how far one can go from the original An-2 design. The "Russkaya Arktika" based on this aircraft is equipped with electronic warfare systems and onboard drones, which allow for expanding observation capabilities and countering aerial threats.
Even during the First World War, light aircraft were used to hit targets; during the Great Patriotic War, light aircraft hit anything.
This experience is important for the proposed concept. It shows that an old platform can become the basis for a specialized aircraft with modern avionics, without losing the ability to operate from unprepared sites and in remote areas.
According to Detenyshev, he has already submitted proposals for the use of small aviation for military purposes, including to the Russian Ministry of Defence, but a constructive discussion of this idea has not yet taken place.
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