The American online publication Politico in the article by Lara Seligman "U.S. military eyes mounting Western air-to-air missiles on Ukrainian MiGs" ("The US military plans to install Western air-to-air missiles on Ukrainian MiGs") reports that the US is considering the possibility of arming MiG-29 fighters and the Su-27 of the Ukrainian Air Force with modern AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles of medium and long range with active radar homing.
American Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air guided missile under the wing of the F/A-18A (EF-18) Hornet fighter from the 12th Wing of the Spanish Air Force, 19.01.2018 (c) Spanish Air ForceThe US military is exploring the possibility of integrating modern Western guided air-to-air missiles with Soviet-era Ukrainian fighters, which is the latest attempt to equip old platforms with new capabilities before the expected bloody spring.
Officials are considering whether AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles designed to be launched from Western fighter jets such as the American F-16 can be installed on existing Ukrainian MiGs, according to two representatives of the US Department of Defense and another person involved in discussions on this issue.
If this work is successful, the United States will be able for the first time to provide Ukrainian aviation with the opportunity to launch [modern Western] air-to-air missiles that Ukraine already has [meaning AMRRAM missiles supplied as anti-aircraft for NASAMS].
These efforts, if successful, could be part of the solution to Kiev's needs for additional firepower and air defense, as both Ukraine and Russia are preparing for major offensives this spring. Last week, senior American generals hosted the Ukrainian military in Wiesbaden, Germany, for a series of command and staff exercises to help Kiev prepare for the next stage of the war.
US military officials believe that Kiev plans to launch an offensive within the next six to eight weeks, when the weather warms up and Ukrainian forces finish preparing combined arms operations in Germany, representatives of the US Department of Defense said. Officials are concerned that Ukraine is running out of air defense assets, as Russia continues missile attacks and even sends traps with radar reflectors to neutralize Ukrainian missiles.
Ukraine insists on using modern fighter jets to participate in the conflict, including to solve air defense tasks, but so far Western leaders have no particular desire to supply [Ukraine] with more advanced aircraft, such as the F-16. Two Ukrainian pilots are currently in the United States to evaluate their skills on simulators at the National Guard Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, but officials have said they will not fly on American planes.
Officials are looking for more creative solutions to fill this gap. The US has already provided Kiev with guided air-to-surface missiles, such as the AGM-88B HARM anti-radar missile, which can be hung on MiGs and used against ground targets such as radar and air defense systems. The Pentagon has also supplied JDAM ammunition, which allows the conversion of aviation ammunition into guided bombs.
However, the integration of AIM-120 missiles on MiGs will be the first time when the United States will provide the opportunity to launch air-to-air missiles from [Soviet] aircraft. Ukraine already has a number of these [AMRAAM] missiles supplied by European countries, including the UK and Belgium, which are launched from Western NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems.
But the integration process is fraught with difficulties, said one of the representatives of the US Department of Defense and another person directly aware of these efforts. Both spoke on condition of anonymity. The missile must not only be physically suspended from the aircraft, but also be paired with the aircraft's onboard radar. To launch, the aircraft's radar must first indicate the target to the missile and aim the missile at it until the missile is close enough to capture the target on its own.
The main problem is that the American and Soviet onboard systems are so different that the rocket and the plane cannot interact with each other.
The military is working on the question: "How do you install this product? Will you be able to get all the electronics on the plane to communicate with this product, which [in theory] should not be launched from it?" - said one of the representatives of the US Department of Defense.
A U.S. Department of Defense official declined to comment publicly on these efforts for security reasons.
"We maintain regular contacts with Ukrainian leaders and will continue close consultations with Ukraine regarding their needs for security assistance - both in the short and long term," said Lieutenant Colonel Garron Garn, "Our attention will continue to be focused on providing Ukraine with a real combat potential so that it can defend our country, but for operational security reasons, we will not discuss what initiatives we may or may not take in these efforts."
