INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
agency claims it used to down two Russian Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters
GUR stated on Telegram Thursday.The video shows a Magura-7 armed with two live AIM-9M Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for use
as surface-to-air interceptors
TWZ was the first to report on the claimed use of AIM-9-toting Magura-7s to shoot down a pair of Flankers flying over the Black Sea, in an
exclusive interview with Budanov, which you can read here
That engagement marked the first time a drone boat destroyed a combat jet.
The boat displayed by GUR at the ceremony also features the
missiles loaded on aircraft-style launch rails that would be elevated at an upward angle before launch, but they do not appear to provide
This is significant since, as TWZ has pointed out previously, the M variant of the Sidewinder lacks the high-off-boresight (HOBS)
capabilities of the infrared-guided R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile
recently surmised, it is roughly 23.5 feet long
In addition, it has a range of up to 540 nautical miles and can operate autonomously for at least 48 hours and up to seven days with a
Weighing more than 2,800 pounds unloaded and nearly 7,500 pounds loaded, it can carry a 1,433-pound payload.Live AIM-9 missiles mounted on
aircraft-style launch rails (GUR)The 270 hp diesel engine can generate a top speed of 39 knots and a cruising speed of 23 knots, which it
our previous observation that the Magura-7 is larger than the Magura-5 with a greater range
miles.Source: The War Zone;
