[Budanov Describes How Ukrainian Military Used Unmanned Boats to Shoot Down Two Su-30 Fighters]
On May 4, RBC-Ukraine reported that Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, said that the Ukrainian military used unmanned boats to shoot down two Russian Su-30 fighters in the Black Sea, calling it a "historic moment".
He said that the Ukrainian reconnaissance forces used infrared-guided AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air missiles from an unmanned boat to shoot down two Su-30 multirole fighters. This was the first time that unmanned boats had shot down fighter jets and the first time that AIM-9 missiles were launched from unmanned boats to eliminate enemy targets.
Budanov said that this event occurred on May 2 in the Black Sea and revealed new details about the incident. The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry used three "Magura V7" unmanned boats in this attack, with two of them launching missiles at the aircraft. Budanov explained that "Magura V7 is an improved version of the 'Magura V5' for anti-aircraft defense." He refused to elaborate on the differences between the two. He also stated that the crew of the first Su-30 fighter survived and were rescued by a civilian vessel in the Black Sea. Preliminary data shows that the crew of the second aircraft perished.
The AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missile is a short-range air-to-air missile developed by Raytheon of the United States in the mid-1950s. The AIM-9 was put into service by the U.S. military in 1956.
The missile has undergone numerous improvements and is still being mass-produced. Most versions of the AIM-9 missile are equipped with infrared guidance systems. Since 1955, more than 200,000 of these missiles have been produced, making the AIM-9 one of the highest production-volume air-to-air missiles in history. In addition, it has shot down 270 aircraft, more than any other air-to-air missile. The AIM-9 has been adopted by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and other countries around the world. Over the years, the air forces of more than 50 countries have used this missile.
On May 3, there were reports that the previous day, Ukrainian reconnaissance forces launched missiles from a "Magura V5" maritime drone and shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter near Novorossiysk. This was the first such incident in the world.
On the evening of May 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian military had "excellently" used maritime unmanned boats to shoot down a Russian military aircraft that day and attacked Crimea, destroying another Russian aircraft.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831184885195788/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.