Analyst: the destruction of the Global Hawk UAV will reduce the danger of Ukraine's strikes on Crimea
MOSCOW, 27 Sep – RIA Novosti. The United States has created a reconnaissance and strike system in the Black Sea region that is directly involved in combat operations against Russia, therefore, American Global Hawk drones flying over neutral waters should become a legitimate target of Russian air defense systems, and the destruction of even one of them will reduce the danger of Ukraine's strikes on Crimea, a military analyst, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, told RIA Novosti" Igor Korotchenko.
As RIA Novosti reported earlier, based on its own analysis of Flightradar24 data, the United States and its NATO allies tripled the number of reconnaissance flights in the Crimea region – from 7 to 21 per week. NATO manned "scouts" are flying over the eastern part of Romania, and Global Hawk strategic UAVs are flying over the central and eastern part of the Black Sea.
As Korotchenko explained, "in fact, today Washington and their NATO allies have created an intelligence and strike system in the Black Sea region, in which all information and intelligence and communication support is provided by Western means on airplanes and UAVs, and the armed forces of Ukraine carry out only the physical launch of missiles and attack drones, including drone boats".
"Accordingly, since strikes by the armed forces of Ukraine on the objects of the Crimean Peninsula would not have been possible without radio equipment deployed on NATO aircraft, then all these means of the United States and its allies are directly involved in hostilities against Russia," the analyst noted.
According to him, a natural step of Russia in this situation will be the creation of a no-fly zone over the waters in the Black Sea, where the deployment of aircraft and drones carrying out electronic reconnaissance takes place, so that this zone, if not excluded, then greatly hindered the intelligence and information support of the Armed Forces of the United States and their allies.
"After creating such a zone and notifying NATO member countries accordingly, Russian air defense systems have every right to destroy the US Global Hawk strategic unmanned aerial vehicle in the air if it enters it. From these devices, in particular, direct control of boats-drones is conducted, which are launched to attack ships of the fleet and the Crimean Bridge. In such a scenario, it is unlikely that any open confrontation is possible on the part of the United States and the West, which we should be ready to fend off, including relying on the Russian potential for tactical nuclear weapons, but their participation in providing Ukrainian forces with their reconnaissance and strike system will definitely be reduced for fear of losing an electronic reconnaissance aircraft with the crew and officers-operators. As a result, the danger of Ukraine's next strikes on Crimea will decrease," the military analyst believes.
The expert added that the currently noted increased frequency of flights in the Black Sea region of NATO reconnaissance aircraft, including unmanned, clearly shows that they are working to identify the positions of Russian air defense systems in the Crimea and other southern regions, monitor the movement of fleet ships and plan strikes on objects on the peninsula, as well as issue target designation in real time on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
"Including the United States and its NATO allies are taking part in the preparation of flight missions for Ukrainian cruise missiles and their adjustment to the current situation, planning combined strikes for Ukraine, giving a chance to break through our defense systems," he added.
Earlier, Yan Gagin, adviser to the acting head of the DPR, said about the possibility of destroying NATO reconnaissance aircraft. He noted that during the strike on Crimea and Sevastopol on September 22, a NATO reconnaissance aircraft moved out of the Mediterranean Sea, which could correct this strike. The adviser to the head of the DPR said that such reconnaissance aircraft should become a legitimate target for the Russian air defense and Air Force and should go astray with the warning of the country to which they belong.
