Experience using civilian An-28 in defending Ukrainian skies has been successful. By early February, this aircraft had over a hundred downed Shaheds and other enemy UAVs to its credit. It seems this experience has been taken into account in Poland, where they decided to create their own Shahed hunter based on the M28 patrol aircraft, a licensed copy of the An-28.
The project's motive is the desire to obtain a cheaper alternative for shooting down russian UAVs than F-16 and F-35. The possible armament package also looks interesting.
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The primary source in this case is a publication by Polish portal Defence24. It clarifies that the project initiator is Polish aircraft manufacturing company PZL Mielec, which is the M28 manufacturer. It's noted that converting these patrol aircraft into Shahed hunters may involve several armament variants.
The basic one is simply copying the Ukrainian solution equipping the M28 with two M134 Miniguns with laser sights and placing these machine guns in the aircraft doors. As noted, Ukraine's experience shows the success of using aircraft with this armament configuration.
The advanced variant in addition to two Miniguns, also provides for installation of an optoelectronic station in the aircraft’s nose (similar to M28s in service with Polish Navy aviation), as well as a remotely controlled turret with a 12.7mm machine gun allowing targets to be engaged through all 360 degrees.
Additionally, this advanced variant provides for the possibility of installing underwing hardpoints for APKWS or FZ275 rocket pods, while on landing gear nacelles 20mm cannon pods for firing straight ahead.
The most advanced variant in addition to the described armament package, provides for installing an onboard radar on the M28 so the Shahed hunter variant aircraft can independently detect air targets. Also integration of Link 16, satellite communications, V/UHF secure communications radios, M5 identification friend or foe system, as well as jam-resistant INS/GPS navigation system. As explained, integration of such onboard equipment package is needed so M28 can act as a component of an integrated air defense system.
As directly follows from the publication, the Polish project to convert M28 into a Shahed hunter is still only at the conceptual stage. However, it's already assumed that if approved, Poland will need a minimum of 20 such aircraft to cover the eastern border, as well as conversion of existing M28s in the Polish Navy’s naval aviation (approximately 14 units) to cover the coastal area and Baltic Sea waters.
Defense Express emphasizes that this Polish project may be interesting for Ukraine in terms of its own An-28 upgrade to counter russian drones Among other things, such a project may formalize into a trend of reviving the gunship class, but based on light aircraft and for the niche of countering enemy drones.
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