September 25, 2026
What kind of trainer and light-attack aircraft is it, how widely is it used today, and in what ways might it be superior to the Super Tucan
To counter russian jet-powered drones, specifically the Geran-4 and Geran-5, Ukrainian forces are employing a variety of improvised solutions. These include at least one PC-9 turboprop trainer and light-attack aircraft equipped with pods carrying 7.62 mm Minigun machine guns.
Several jet-powered UAVs have already been confirmed shot down, both during the day and at night, according to Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the British think tank RUSI.
From Defense Express we would like to note that there is currently no publicly available evidence confirming the use of PC-9 aircraft by Ukrainian forces to counter russian jet-powered drones. Therefore, we can only rely on the claims made in the RUSI publication.
Justin Bronk claims that PC-9s may be relatively easy to acquire on the global used-aircraft market. This is particularly noteworthy given the aircraft’s strong performance characteristics. The PC-9 can reach a maximum speed of 600 km/h, has a combat radius of 650 kilometers, and can carry up to 1,040 kilograms of payload on six hardpoints.
Therefore, NATO countries should not rule out the possibility of using the PC-9 as an improvised weapon against enemy jet-powered UAVs.
This is especially true given that a certain number of PC-9 and PC-9M aircraft are still in service with the armed forces of some European countries: Croatia (17 aircraft), Ireland (eight aircraft), and Slovenia (nine aircraft). Production and deliveries of the PC-9 took place in the 1980s and 1990s. The U.S. Air Force currently operates the T-6 Texan II, a derivative of the PC-9 Mk II.
The PC-9’s advantages as an improvised platform for countering jet-powered UAVs may stem not only from its performance characteristics but also from its availability. Unlike the Super Tucano, for example, its transfer is not subject to the same political constraints.
Moreover, the Defense Forces of Ukraine are actively exploring every possible improvised solution involving light aircraft. It is worth recalling that in August 2025, it emerged that even a Czech Moravan Z-137 Agro Turbo, equipped with R-73 missiles, was being used to intercept Shahed drones—showing that Ukraine’s improvised combat aircraft had already reached a new level.
Ivan Kyrychevskyi, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
Never realized the PC-9s can travel that fast with such a large payload