[Goose]

Have not followed this closely, but Jane's had Russia flying A-50s from Belarus pretty much from day one.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-...on-ukraine

True, they operated early on in the offensive where the two transport carrying paratroopers got shot down. After that, I don't see any record of them doing this, and even in this period they weren't controlling fighters (or targeting missiles) for that matter. If you Google Mainstay or A-50 you will find almost no references(I found 3, one your article, one saying the Russians could use them as the air war evolved, and one saying Russia was flying them to cover Polish airspace). It is not as if anybody has noticed them.

It doesn't seem they have used them much at all, which is weird IMHO. As you point out, they clearly have them. They can easily detect aircraft flying low out to 800 km range. Luhansk isn't nearly that big. The A-50 is able to see anything that moves in that airspace, and yet the Russians haven't stopped the Ukrainian SU-25s. Using the known capabilities of the A-50, Russian fighters should be able to stay in relatively "safe" airspace and shoot R-77s at the Ukrainians with little risk to themselves. They can stay low inside occupied territory where the S-300 can't see them. Guided by the A-50 they can pop up, fire their missiles at the known target and dive back towards Russia. The R-77 has pretty good look-down shoot-down performance. The Ukrainian S-300s, even if they detect the Russian jet, can't guide on it when it goes low (below the radar horizon) again. Yet as far as we know the Russians have not even tried to do this. This is a known capability they have. If they can target S-400 missiles it is another additional significant threat, but we don't know for sure they can. The new activity in Belarus make one wonder if this A-50 situation is about to change.

[Goose]

Have not followed this closely, but Jane's had Russia flying A-50s from Belarus pretty much from day one.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-...on-ukraine

True, they operated early on in the offensive where the two transport carrying paratroopers got shot down. After that, I don't see any record of them doing this, and even in this period they weren't controlling fighters (or targeting missiles) for that matter. If you Google Mainstay or A-50 you will find almost no references(I found 3, one your article, one saying the Russians could use them as the air war evolved, and one saying Russia was flying them to cover Polish airspace). It is not as if anybody has noticed them.

It doesn't seem they have used them much at all, which is weird IMHO. As you point out, they clearly have them. They can easily detect aircraft flying low out to 800 km range. Luhansk isn't nearly that big. The A-50 is able to see anything that moves in that airspace, and yet the Russians haven't stopped the Ukrainian SU-25s. Using the known capabilities of the A-50, Russian fighters should be able to stay in relatively "safe" airspace and shoot R-77s at the Ukrainians with little risk to themselves. They can stay low inside occupied territory where the S-300 can't see them. Guided by the A-50 they can pop up, fire their missiles at the known target and dive back towards Russia. The R-77 has pretty good look-down shoot-down performance. The Ukrainian S-300s, even if they detect the Russian jet, can't guide on it when it goes low (below the radar horizon) again. Yet as far as we know the Russians have not even tried to do this. This is a known capability they have. If they can target S-400 missiles it is another additional significant threat, but we don't know for sure they can. The new activity in Belarus make one wonder if this A-50 situation is about to change.