Russian army endures potential loss of another costly A‑50 aircraft, sources report
"This is a very uncommon machine", we gather from readings. The downing of the Russian aircraft designated for long-range radar reconnaissance and control is reported by, among others, Russian war correspondent Vladimir Romanov, whom Belshat cites.
7:44 AM EST, February 24, 2024
Again, it's an A-50, and again, in the same sector. Ukrainians had nothing to do with it. The rockets were launched from near Mariupol – Romanov wrote, implying that the aircraft was downed by Russian air defense. However, online reports suggest that the loss of another A-50 could indeed be credited to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Valuable Russian Aircraft – A-50 Beriev
The aforementioned A-50 Beriev is the successor to the Tupolev Tu-126. The aircraft was designed to detect and trace all airborne objects within a distance of about 403 miles from the Liana radar fitted on the aircraft's fuselage. The A-50 can also locate ground-based targets, although the detection range is then limited to about 186 miles. Nonetheless, this allows for surveillance missions, interception of enemy units, and provides Russians with the means to support ground attacks.
The A-50's history within the Russian army dates back to the 1980s, seeing as this specific model was inducted into service in 1984. The aircraft is almost 50m long, 15m high, and approximately 50.5m in wingspan. Its maximum speed is around 559 miles per hour, and the altitude at which the A-50 can operate reaches about 8.1 miles. Its range is estimated to be close to 4653 miles.
As reported earlier by journalist Karolina Modzelewska from Virtual Poland, the cost of manufacturing a single A-50 is around 330 million dollars. Therefore, the loss of another aircraft of this type represents a blow to Russia, not only in terms of production costs, but also considering the fact that the Russian Federation currently possesses eight A-50s (according to Forbes' calculations).
