Ukrainians utilize FPV drones to down Russian helicopters

During operations in the Kursk region, Ukrainians used FPV drones innovatively, specifically to hunt down Russian helicopters providing support or transporting aid to the combat area.

This is the first case of an FPV drone hitting a Mi-28 attack helicopter, and now a second known case of shooting down a transport model has emerged. The photo below shows a crashed Mi-8AMTSh helicopter, which was hit in the tail rotor.

FPV drones have become a substitute for modern guided weapons for Ukrainians and Russians because they allow for the creation of a weapon capable of destroying equipment worth millions of dollars at a very low cost—$2,000 to $3,000 for the drone and warhead. For example, the cost of a Mi-8AMTSh is estimated at up to $15 million, so $2,000 to $3,000 is practically nothing.

To ground a helicopter, it is easiest to hit the tail boom or tail rotor, which counters the torque from the main drive rotor. After its destruction, the helicopter starts spinning uncontrollably, resulting in a crash. Only Ka-52 Alligator helicopters with a coaxial rotor system are immune to such hits.

The idea is simple, but hitting the target is the problem because helicopters can fly over 125 mph, which is unattainable for FPV drones. FPV drone pilots must attack their targets from the side in advance. It is not easy, but as we can see from the results, it is feasible and represents a significant problem for helicopter pilots, who usually do not have onboard radars capable of detecting incoming drones.

Only electronic warfare pods creating a specific bubble around the helicopter, for example, with a diameter of 650 feet inside which the control signal stops working, can help here. However, such jammers are not always effective because the opponent might have adapted to their operating characteristics or use drones connected to the control station via fiber-optic cables. In the case of such a wired connection, any jammer is helpless.