Russia Uses Modified S-8 Rockets Against Drones
Russian forces have begun using a modernized S-8VC rocket from Ka-52M helicopters to intercept aerial targets, according to footage published on the SMOTRIM platform.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Military
Russian military forces have begun using modified S-8VC rockets to intercept aerial targets. Footage of the weapon's use was published on the SMOTRIM platform.
Why it matters
The S-8VC gives attack helicopter crews a way to engage aerial threats without relying solely on the onboard cannon or guided missiles. Its fragmentation-cloud approach targets the flight path of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The S-8VC munition has an 80 mm caliber and an operational range of several kilometers. Its proximity fuze detonates the warhead near the target rather than requiring a direct hit.
The players
OKB-16
OKB-16 was the Soviet design bureau that originally developed the S-8 family of 80 mm unguided aircraft rockets in the 1960s.
SMOTRIM
SMOTRIM is the platform on which footage of the S-8VC's use against aerial targets was published.
The details
The S-8VC rockets are fired from Ka-52M attack helicopters equipped with B8V10-UV launch modules. Target acquisition and tracking use an electro-optical system with daytime and nighttime imaging channels.
Timeline
The S-8 family was originally developed in the Soviet Union by OKB-16 in the 1960s.
The S-8 rockets entered service with Soviet military aviation in the 1970s.
Footage of the S-8VC's anti-drone use was published on the SMOTRIM platform on 2026-11-02.
Military Lineage
The S-8VC extends the 1960s Soviet OKB-16 S-8 rocket family, originally built to strike ground targets, into an anti-aerial role. Its fragmentation-cloud design responds to the growing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield.
For readers, the story signals how frontline air defense is being adapted to cheaper, small threats. It does not change anything for civilians directly, but shapes how modern drone warfare is conducted.
The takeaway
The S-8VC shows how a decades-old rocket family can be reshaped to meet new threats. It is a useful example of how militaries adapt existing hardware to the drone era.
Further reading
For more on military hardware developments, see the Military section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Militarnyi.
