Defense News said that NATO should not lose the F-35 for the sake of Ukraine
In a potential military conflict with Russia in Eastern Europe, in particular, in Ukraine, NATO should abandon the use of American fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters due to the high risk of losing these small and expensive aircraft, according to the publication Defense News.
"High-quality aircraft are simply too expensive and few in number to put them at risk in contested airspace over the [Black Sea] coast. Since these aircraft are removed from the ground combat area, they will be less effective as direct air support," the American edition writes.
It is noted that although the F-35 Lightning II can strike ground targets from safer heights, the distance required for the operation of Russian advanced anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) allows the latter to "shoot and leave". "By the time of arrival [of the released F-35 Lightning II], there may not be a target ammunition [in the form of a Russian air defense system]," the publication says.
Defense News writes that the dominance in the airspace by the Russian side will be ensured by means of tactical drones, low-flying missiles, barrage ammunition and electronic warfare (EW). The publication notes that NATO forces are in urgent need of heavy artillery.
In February, Business Insider wrote that the popularity of the F-35 Lightning II in Europe can be explained by the desire of Western countries to cooperate with the United States against the background of increased Russian military activity. The publication said that European countries are buying this aircraft with "an eye on Russia."
