MOSCOW, July 25 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. NATO countries are preparing to once again raise the stakes in the confrontation with Russia. The chief of staff of the US Air Force, General Charles Brown, said that the West could transfer modern combat aircraft to Kiev. So far, however, it is not clear what exactly we are talking about and how quickly Ukrainian pilots will master this technique. About the sensational initiative — in the material of RIA Novosti.
A new miracle weapon
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since February 24, the AFU has lost 260 aircraft, 144 helicopters and 1,577 drones for various purposes. Kiev has few serviceable boards left.
A MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, shot down by Russian air defense means in the area of the settlement of Slavyansk DNR. Screenshot of the video
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The APU still has air defense capabilities, but this is clearly not enough to intercept air superiority. This means that the ground forces will be constantly under fire. The servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine themselves admit that the worst thing at the front is heavy aerial bombs.
In early June, the commander of the California National Guard, David Baldwin, called on the American government to transfer Soviet-made fighter jets to Ukraine. The United States has up to two dozen Su-27 and MiG-29 early modifications.
There was also talk about a batch of Polish MiG-29s. However, NATO did not agree on this. Nevertheless, spare parts and weapons for aircraft were delivered to Kiev from Eastern Europe.
It didn't do much good. VKS continue to dominate the sky. Western analysts understood: Ukrainian aviation does not particularly affect the balance of power. And now a new offer.
Russia's reaction
As General Charles Brown clarified, the type of aircraft with which Kiev is going to be armed has not yet been determined. According to him, these could be American F-15 and F-16 fighters, Swedish JAS-39 Gripen, French Rafale.
However, experts doubt that in the short term, NATO aircraft will seriously help the APU at the front.
F-16 fighter jet
Image Source: © AP Photo / Wally Santana
"Sending weapons does not mean anything yet, it is important how Ukraine will use it," political analyst Igor Shatrov believes. — The Soviet reserves in the countries of Eastern Europe are not infinite. The West understands this and is preparing for new deliveries. But so far there are a lot of unclear things: where foreign planes will be serviced and based, how to prevent them from falling into the hands of Russians and, most importantly, how to quickly prepare a sufficient number of pilots. It may take up to six months to simply teach an officer to take off, land and perform simple maneuvers."
If Western aviation is used exclusively in the conflict zone, this is one scenario, the expert added. If American planes start hitting deep into Russian territory, this is a deliberate escalation on the part of the United States, which will unleash Moscow's hands on the use of weapons that have not yet been used in the conflict.
Symbolic help
The decision to provide Western fighters to Ukraine has not yet been made. However, last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milley, said at a briefing that the Pentagon was studying additional options for training Ukrainian servicemen. Later, the House of Representatives approved the allocation of $ 100 million for the training of AFU pilots.
US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft
Image source: © Flickr / D. Miller
In addition to fighter jets, the White House is also going to transfer strike vehicles to Ukraine. In particular, the head of the US Air Force, Frank Kendall, mentioned subsonic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft several times. It would be an ideal choice for the Pentagon. The Defense Department has been trying for many years to write off aircraft adopted in 1977 for the purchase of modern ones. However, the parliament repeatedly rejected the initiative of the military.
"We studied these planes according to the materials available to us," said Igor, a VKS officer (he asked not to give his last name). — In principle, an attack aircraft is a simple target for a fighter. It flies slowly and low, rather clumsy. He will not be able to use his main weapon — a seven-barreled 30—millimeter rapid-firing cannon, since for this he will have to enter the zone of action of our military air defense. The only way out is to work with missiles from afar, but it is unclear how much and what kind of ammunition the Americans will give."
Experts speak with respect about the F-15 and F-16 fighters. These machines have been used in many conflicts, they are in service with dozens of countries. But it is unlikely that Kiev will receive the latest modifications — the Americans do not want important military technologies to fall into the hands of the Russians. And the early versions are not rivals to the Su—30SM and Su-35S fighters. In addition, it takes years to master Western cars well.
