The value of an aircraft, according to M. Bohnert, depends on factors such as line of sight and the curvature of the Earth. He noted a significant difference in detection capabilities between ground radar and drone radar.
Specifically, ground radar can typically detect an object flying low only between 15 and 30 kilometers away, after which the target may be obscured by the horizon. In contrast, the drone’s radar has the capability to detect the same target from distances exceeding 300 kilometers. M.
Bohnert says this difference in range carries two primary consequences. First, it provides substantially earlier warning times. The drone offers up to an hour of warning for an attack, compared to 10 to 30 minutes provided by a cruise missile.
Second, the superior range allows the system to cover a much larger operational area, potentially replacing more than a dozen ground radar systems. Because a single A-50U can substitute for numerous ground radar installations, M. Bohnert says that Russia can maintain many of these older systems in a standby state, activating them only when necessary for interception.
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