File image.
A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter equipped with an advanced electronic warfare (EW) system has been spotted in Ukraine for the first time.
On April 21, a photo showing the EW helicopter, dubbed the Mi-8MPTR-1, in an unspecified part of Ukraine surfaced online.
Click to see full-size image. Source: t.me/Oleg_Blokhin
The Mi-8MTPR-1 is a standard Mi-8MTV-5-1 equipped with the Richag-AV EW system. The helicopter was designed to detect and suppress electronic command-and-control systems as well as the radars of ground-to air and air-to-air missiles.
The Richag-AV is a groundbreaking radar jamming system developed by KRET and designed for integration on rotary-wing aircraft, ships and other military platforms such as airplanes and ground vehicles.
This EW system can jam advanced sensor systems from distances of several hundred kilometers away. The system, which is meant to protect aircraft, helicopter, drones, ground and naval, utilizes multi-beam antenna arrays with DRFM [Digital Radio Frequency Memory] to attack radiofrequency based weapon system.
The Richag-AV can be also employed to carry out radar-based intelligence gathering. Through an onboard database, the system can quickly identify the type of targeted radar and determine the most effective way to jam it.
KRET delivered at least 18 Mi-8MTPR1 helicopter-mounted Richag-AV to the Russian military in 2015 and 2016. A more advanced version of the system, dubbed the Richag-AVM, was delivered in 2017.
The Russian military have deployed several ground and air-based EW systems in Ukraine since the beginning of its special operation there.
Russian EW systems continue to play a key role against the more advanced defensive and offensive means of Ukraine, especially air-defense systems and combat drones.
