[dabigv13]

Very interesting thread, thanks for posting.

Ukraine seems to have achieved another first in warfare, downing an Su-30 from a SAM launched by a naval drone. They previously managed to take down a helicopter a few months ago in same manner. Taking down a jet like this should be more difficult. The Su-30's countermeasures should be able to handle an old R-73. Perhaps unlucky, unprepared, or it's not a standard R-73 missile.

Unprepared is very probable. The R-73 is an IR missile. It is relatively short range, especially at lower altitudes where the intercept occurred. The intercept occurred 50 km west of Novorossiysk. That is undoubtedly considered a "safe" area by the VVS. It is entirely probable the Missile Approach Warning Sensor (MAWS) was not enabled. It is also possible it was not working. Since there has been almost no air combat in the Ukraine war for a long time, maybe the airplane wasn't down-checked for an inoperable MAWS. It is also almost certain that the pilot did not see the missile launch or the missile approaching because he wasn't looking for it. Normally such a missile could only be launched from another airplane. As far as the pilot knew, there were no other airplanes so he was "safe". It is also certain that the Su-30's MAWS and IR countermeasures are optimized for NATO missiles, not Soviet/Russian ones.

Now Ukraine is claiming it was a Sidewinder missile. 

https://www.twz.com/news-features/two-ru...intel-boss

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) shot down two Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters with AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles fired by Magura-7 drone boats, the head of the agency told The War Zone exclusively. This marks the first time fighter airecraft have been downed by drone boats and the first use of the AIM-9 from a drone boat for a kill.

“It’s a historical moment,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us. The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim.

[dabigv13]

Very interesting thread, thanks for posting.

Ukraine seems to have achieved another first in warfare, downing an Su-30 from a SAM launched by a naval drone. They previously managed to take down a helicopter a few months ago in same manner. Taking down a jet like this should be more difficult. The Su-30's countermeasures should be able to handle an old R-73. Perhaps unlucky, unprepared, or it's not a standard R-73 missile.

Unprepared is very probable. The R-73 is an IR missile. It is relatively short range, especially at lower altitudes where the intercept occurred. The intercept occurred 50 km west of Novorossiysk. That is undoubtedly considered a "safe" area by the VVS. It is entirely probable the Missile Approach Warning Sensor (MAWS) was not enabled. It is also possible it was not working. Since there has been almost no air combat in the Ukraine war for a long time, maybe the airplane wasn't down-checked for an inoperable MAWS. It is also almost certain that the pilot did not see the missile launch or the missile approaching because he wasn't looking for it. Normally such a missile could only be launched from another airplane. As far as the pilot knew, there were no other airplanes so he was "safe". It is also certain that the Su-30's MAWS and IR countermeasures are optimized for NATO missiles, not Soviet/Russian ones.

Now Ukraine is claiming it was a Sidewinder missile. 

https://www.twz.com/news-features/two-ru...intel-boss

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) shot down two Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters with AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles fired by Magura-7 drone boats, the head of the agency told The War Zone exclusively. This marks the first time fighter airecraft have been downed by drone boats and the first use of the AIM-9 from a drone boat for a kill.

“It’s a historical moment,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us. The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim.