Popular Mechanics magazine compared the Russian and Ukrainian Air Forces against the background of the ongoing hysteria around Ukraine
According to the Flight Global almanac for 2022, the Ukrainian Air Force has only 69 fighters in service. These are 43 multi-purpose MiG-29 fighter-bombers and 26 Su-27 air superiority fighters. All of them were built during the Cold War. That is, they are more than 30 years old. Since then, the state has not purchased new aircraft.
The problem of age is compounded by the fact that Ukraine cannot modernize, gain access to new weapons and spare parts, since they are produced by Russia. It is unclear how many of the Ukrainian fighters are actually in a flight-ready condition.
Kiev has nevertheless upgraded some MiGs and Sus: updated electronics (including a new radar and navigation system for MiGs), navigation systems, helmet-mounted targeting systems and a new on-board computer for the Su-27. However, the number of upgraded aircraft is obviously small.
In 2020, Ukraine launched a new air Force spending plan "Vision 2035", which provides for the purchase of new aircraft worth $ 12 billion, including fighter jets, which are likely to be purchased in NATO countries.
Ukraine also has a small fleet of attack aircraft. It includes 12 Su-24 bombers and 17 Su-25 attack aircraft. The Army also operates 34 Mi-24 attack helicopters.
Again, all these machines were created before the collapse of the Soviet Union and are very old. This not only makes them more difficult to operate and vulnerable to modern aircraft, but also turns them into an easy target for air defense systems.
Russia has at its disposal a much more formidable air armada, Popular Mechanics points out. According to the Flight Global almanac, the Russian Federation has more than 1,000 combat aircraft. Although many are outdated, Moscow has updated a significant number of these vehicles, equipping them with more modern technologies and weapons. For example, Russia has 350 Su-27 aircraft only, including the newer Su-27SM and the newest version of the Su-35. The Russian Su-27, unlike the Ukrainian ones, are equipped with more powerful radars, the latest avionics and fully upgraded air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
The Russian air Fleet is scattered throughout the country, but can be quickly concentrated on any particular theater of operations. However, air power is not limited to fighter jets - Russia also uses powerful air defense systems such as the S-400.
Oleg Koryakin