Watch: Ukrainian Air Force uses iPads to launch Western weapons

Ukrainian pilots are using iPads to launch sophisticated Western missiles from their Soviet-era fighter jets.

A recent video released by the Ukrainian Air Force shows a pilot flying a Soviet Su-27 plane fitted with a tablet in the cockpit.

The pilot can be seen firing off US-supplied AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, known as HARMs, a type of air-to-surface missile that can destroy radar systems.

Dr William LaPlante, the US undersecretary of defence for acquisition and sustainment, confirmed the development during a conference last week.

“They [the Ukrainians] have a lot of the Russian and Soviet-era aircraft,” he said. “Working with the Ukrainians, we’ve been able to take many Western weapons and get them to work on their aircraft where it’s basically controlled by an iPad by the pilot. And they’re flying it in conflict like a week after we get it to him.”

It is not clear exactly how the tablets are being used and Dr LaPlante did not provide more detail. However, The War Zone, a specialist defence publication, reported that Ukraine’s Soviet-era fighters lack the data systems to allow seamless compatibility with Western weapons such as HARMs.

The same is true of other high-tech weaponry, including the Hammer precision-guided bombs supplied by France and Storm Shadow cruise missiles sent by Britain.

The tablets can overcome that problem. They could also potentially be used for navigation – as appears to be shown in the video – and to display critical data to help pilots complete missions successfully.

The plane shown in the footage is believed to be taking part in a so-called “Wild Weasel” mission, which typically involves fighter pilots baiting the enemy’s anti-aircraft defences into targeting it with their radars.

The radars are then attacked with weapons like HARMs, which can trace the electronic transmissions they release.

The clip shows the pilot flying low over open fields and firing off a series of missiles.

The UK’s largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine, announced last week, is expected to include Paveway IV bombs, which can precisely seek out targets using a combination of lasers and GPS.