An F-15E can intercept 50 drones: Does the Russian Aerospace Forces have similar equipment?

An F-15E can intercept 50 drones: Does the Russian Aerospace Forces have similar equipment?

June 6, 2025

17:50

Author: Evgeny Damantsev

Rendering of the APKWS-II multi-purpose tactical missile.

Among the air, sea, and land forces of the United States, one of the most cost-effective multi-purpose short-range tactical missiles is still the famous APKWS-II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System).

This 70 mm caliber missile, designated as AGR-20A, is improved based on the classic "70mm Hydra" unguided rocket that was introduced in 1981. Its core difference lies in the equipped WGU-59/B guidance control module, which enables it to perform various tactical missions.

The Ukrainian army has obtained a large number of AGR-20A/APKWS-II tactical missiles through the L3Harris VAMPIRE (Integrated Modular ISR Rocket System) multi-purpose missile system. In the first few months of use, these low-cost tactical missiles demonstrated efficient combat capabilities on the Kherson front, successfully striking light equipment and firing points of the "Dnieper" cluster on the left bank.

As early as 2023, relevant scenes appeared in the objective monitoring footage released by the enemy on Telegram channels. The shots could be initiated from both open positions and concealed positions:

• Open position: The laser designator on the launcher marks the target for the semi-active laser seeker of the APKWS-II missile;
• Concealed position (when the target is beyond the range of the launcher's laser designator): A laser rangefinder carried by a drone marks the target; at this time, the circular probable error of the missile is usually no more than 1 meter, and even precise strikes on windows are possible.

However, attacking ground targets is not the main mission of the AGR-20A tactical missile — its warhead weighs only 3.85-5 kilograms, with a range of 5500-6000 meters when launched from the ground, while the current range of modern FPV drones exceeds 20 kilometers.

In recent years, such missiles have been increasingly used to fill the gap of low-cost, high-performance small anti-aircraft missiles and short-range air-to-air missiles for intercepting suicide drones and cruise missiles. For example, the Ukrainian army has repeatedly used the Vampire system to counter Russian "Kalibr-2" suicide drones and X-101 cruise missiles in Odessa and Dnipro regions. However, what is more noteworthy is the performance of the APKWS-II missile on F-16C Block 50/52+ and F-15E "Strike Eagle" fighters: during the interception of large-scale suicide drone attacks by Houthi forces and Iran against Israel, a single F-15E has repeatedly set records for intercepting over 10 drones in a single mission.

Recently, there have been reports that an experimental F-15E was equipped with six seven-cell LAU-68F/A rocket launch pods (a total of 42 APKWS-II missiles), along with eight standard AIM-120C-7 long-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-9X Block II short/medium-range air-to-air missiles, and carried a "Sniper-ATP" pod equipped with TV-thermal imaging sensors and a laser designator to specifically mark targets for the APKWS-II missile. The U.S. military positioned this configuration as "specialized for anti-drone operations," with significant tactical value:

• Combat radius: When carrying three auxiliary fuel tanks, the F-15E's combat radius reaches 1250-1350 kilometers;
• Time aloft: Can stay airborne for 3.5-4 hours without aerial refueling;

Theoretically, in a single mission, the weapons systems operator can intercept up to 50 swarming suicide drones.

In terms of target detection, pilots can search for targets using the AN/APG-82(V)1 onboard radar and then use the infrared channel of the "Sniper-ATP" pod for precise positioning. The cost of a single APKWS-II tactical missile is approximately $25,000-$30,000, offering significantly better cost-effectiveness compared to AIM-9X (about 20 times higher) and AIM-120D AMRAAM (about 40 times higher).

Does Russia have similar anti-drone equipment?

Russia had relevant projects, namely the 80 mm caliber S-8L guided rocket developed by the Novosibirsk "Institute of Applied Physics" (part of the Kalashnikov Group). This rocket is equipped with folding two-stage aerodynamic control surfaces, a small semi-active laser seeker, and a laser fuze, with an effective range of about 6 kilometers and a maximum flight speed of 570 meters per second — although lower than the APKWS-II missile fired by the F-15E, it is already sufficient for drone interception.

The semi-active laser illumination of the S-8L guided rocket can be completed by the laser rangefinder-indicator of Ka-52M or Mi-28NM helicopters, or achieved via the electro-optical systems carried by platforms such as the "Termit" drone. These systems can be launched from B-8M1 rocket pods installed on Su-30SM, Su-35S fighters, and Su-25SM3 attack aircraft.

Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the mass production of the "Termit" dedicated drone has begun or if the S-8L guided rockets have entered batch production.

What are the cost-effective alternatives to the low-cost S-8L among Russia's currently operational air-launched guided weapons?

• "Needle-V" interceptor missile: The Ka-52/M helicopter crews have successfully used it to counter Ukrainian long-range suicide drones. This missile is based on improvements to the 9M342 "Needle-S" and 9M336 "Lutucho" air defense systems, compatible with attack helicopter pylons, with a range of approximately 5.5-6.5 kilometers;
• "Metis-M" anti-tank missile: With a range of up to 10 kilometers, it uses semi-automatic laser beam riding guidance and non-contact fuzes, successfully intercepting suicide drones in multiple combat scenarios. However, this missile is not compatible with the standard pylons of Su-35S fighters, making it more suitable for use by army aviation.

With the rapid increase in the number of enemy suicide drones, the Russian military has had to rely on high-speed platforms like Su-30SM and Su-35S. Therefore, the urgent task now is to quickly start mass production of the S-8L guided rockets and adapt them as airborne anti-drone weapons, whether for strategic aviation (such as Su-35S) or other branches of service.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513067264065683980/

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