Ukraine has confirmed that it has begun to equip some of its attack drones with unguided S-5 missiles, developed during the Soviet era, in an initiative that reflects the rapid transformation of technologies used on the battlefield.
The announcement comes in the context of the intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Russian logistical infrastructure located tens or even hundreds of kilometers behind the front line, writes kyivpost.com.
A new use for old weapons
According to Denis Știlerman, co-founder of the Ukrainian arms company Fire Point, the integration of S-5 missiles has been completed on the FP-1 and FP-2 drones, used for medium and long-range missions.
Each drone can carry up to eight S-5 missiles, ammunition that has remained in military stocks since the Soviet Union era.
“We have a large number of such missiles that are practically no longer used on the front line. The idea was to find a way to make them valuable”, explained Știlerman in an interview given to the Ukrainian publication New Voice of Ukraine.
The S-5 rocket family includes 55 mm projectiles launched through 57 mm tubes. Initially designed for military aircraft and helicopters, they have been used for decades in numerous conflicts.
From airplanes to drones
The adaptation of traditional weaponry to unmanned platforms represents one of the most significant trends observed in the war in Ukraine.
According to the developers, the S-5 rockets are not effective against heavy armor, but can be used against less protected targets, such as logistical vehicles, warehouses, fortified positions or military infrastructure.
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