The russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have reportedly received back into service the upgraded A-50U airborne early warning aircraft carrying the tactical number Red 47 after repairs conducted at the Beriev Aircraft Company facility in Taganrog. Notably, this aircraft was originally upgraded to the A-50U standard as far back as 2011.
It was the first aircraft in russian service to undergo modernization to the A-50U configuration. However, according to the unofficial bmpd blog run by russia's Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), no more than four A-50U aircraft are currently available for what is described as "periodic operation."
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These details are important not only for assessing the overall condition of russia's Aerospace Forces after more than four years of full-scale war against Ukraine. They also have implications for the future introduction of the JAS 39 Gripen into Ukrainian service, particularly given the fighter's compatibility with the long-range Meteor air-to-air missile.
The logic is straightforward. The fewer A-50U aircraft russia can keep airborne, the more limited its ability to provide long-range target tracking and guidance support to fighters such as the Su-35S and MiG-31BM. These aircraft serve as carriers of the long-range R-37M air-to-air missile and rely heavily on external radar support to maximize their effectiveness.
In turn, this could create a larger operational window for future Ukrainian Gripens. Their primary mission would be to push russian Su-34 strike aircraft, which carry guided bombs, farther away from the frontline. Those Su-34s themselves often depend on protection from Su-35S fighters operating with support from russia's airborne radar assets.
As for the current state of russia's A-50U fleet, the picture appears increasingly constrained. While the VKS received a total of eight upgraded A-50U aircraft, russian sources themselves acknowledge the loss of at least three.
The first, carrying the tactical number Red 41, was damaged on February 26, 2023, at the Machulishchy air base in Belarus during an FPV drone attack attributed to Ukraine's Security Service (SSU). The aircraft reportedly never returned to operational service.
The second aircraft, believed to be Red 37, was shot down over the Sea of Azov on January 14, 2024, possibly by a Patriot air defense system.
The third, Red 42, was destroyed over russia's Krasnodar region on February 23, 2024. Ukrainian sources reported that the engagement involved an S-200 air defense system.
Even using russian figures, this leaves no more than five A-50U aircraft in inventory, of which only four are reportedly capable of flight operations. At the same time, bmpd does not explain why the Red 47 aircraft mentioned above required repairs in the first place. It is entirely possible that the aircraft had also sustained combat-related damage requiring lengthy restoration work.
Moreover, the very term "periodic operation" suggests that russia cannot simultaneously deploy all four flyable A-50Us. Instead, the aircraft likely rotate through operational cycles, maintenance, and training requirements.
The remaining A-50U fleet is based at Ivanovo Severny Air Base, home to the 610th Combat Employment and Conversion Training Center. Meanwhile, operation of the older non-modernized A-50 aircraft appears to have been completely discontinued.
Earlier, Defense Express examined how the A-50 was originally produced during the Soviet era and why the destruction of aircraft of this type shattered the myth of its supposedly irreplaceable status.
Ivan Kyrychevskiy, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
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