Ukrainian MiGs Firing Radar-Fuzed Rockets--Just The Thing For Shooting Down Russian Drones

[Kennah]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/01/13/ukrainian-migs-firing-radar-fuzed-rockets-just-the-thing-for-shooting-down-russian-drones/?sh=295e6f4d4d31

The United States has pledged to Ukraine a consignment of Zuni unguided rockets. There are two ways the Ukrainians could use them—firing them from the air at targets on the ground, or from the air at targets that also are in the air.

The latter tactic was all the rage ... in the 1940s and ‘50s. But it still could work today. Especially against drones.

The administration of U.S. president Joe Biden announced the Zuni transfer last week. “We are ... committing 4,000 Zuni aircraft rockets, which can be mounted on Ukraine's existing aircraft to engage air or ground targets in the category of air defense, which is still a top priority for Ukraine,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper told reporters.

Cooper said she expects American and Ukrainian engineers to work out some expedient for fitting Zuni pods—typically holding four of the 80-pound, 127-millimeter rockets—to Ukrainian air force and army aircraft, potentially including fixed-wing Mikoyan MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-24s, Su-25s and Su-27s as well as Mil Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters.

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Zunis cost about $400 each and they came out in 1957. Seems like excellent, economical, drone defense.

[Deuxcents]

1. Will they have them soon?

[Kennah]

2. Within weeks are what I read

[Deuxcents]

3. Thank you. I wish they'd get em tomorrow..I so hate what is happening to the Ukrainians 🇺🇦

[Kennah]

4. Logistics, training, engineering

Getting stuff moved there is a big lift. Some things [like Patriots] need training. With the Zuni rockets, they need to engineer a solution, but I know they've gotten HARMs on Ukrainian jets and I suspect this will be an easier situation to engineer a solution.

[Wounded Bear]

5. No sweat. I remember a sign in our machinist shop...

in the hangar where my squadron was based.

We can do anything but put wheels on a miscarriage or weld the crack of dawn.

They'll figure it out.

[mitch96]

6. I think it uses a gizmo called a proximity fuze. When it gets near a target it explodes.

First developed in WW2. What is ironic was they used little tiny TUBES not transistors.
Very hi tech for the time...
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