Deadly tactics of the Ukrainians: Even the Americans don't possess this

The Air Force of Ukraine claims to have shot down as many as 13 Russian warplanes in 12 days, starting on February 17.

Deadly tactics of the Ukrainians: Even the Americans don't possess this

The Air Force of Ukraine claims to have shot down as many as 13 Russian warplanes in 12 days, starting on February 17.

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Foto: Profimedia

This number cannot be confirmed, it may be slightly lower - or even higher, but no one disputes the fact that the Ukrainians shot down a lot of enemy planes last month.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russians have lost an average of four aircraft per month, and now, in the 24th month of the war, they may have lost at least three times the average, writes "The Telegraph".

Why have Russian airplanes become more vulnerable and Ukrainian air defenses more lethal? It is clear that the Russian Air Force stepped up its operations in February. From the eastern town of Avdiivka, the Russians decided to push back the Ukrainian garrison, which had run out of ammunition, and their air force saw an opportunity to hasten the Ukrainian retreat.

Therefore, the Russian Air Force equipped its 100 Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers and a number of Sukhoi Su-35s with satellite-guided glide (or self-propelled) bombs and anti-radar missiles and sent them to attack Ukrainian positions in and around Avdiivka.

The number of Russian airstrikes in mid-February, at the height of the battle for that city, exceeded a hundred a day, and each of their planes was a potential target for Ukrainian ground-based missile batteries. Although it is logical that with the increase in the number of aerial targets, there will be more shooting down, it is undeniable that Ukrainian efficiency experienced a kind of boom.

The Ukrainians appear to have taken some components from their US-made Patriot air defense missile battery and organized them into mobile units. Several quadruple Patriot launchers, connected to long-range radars by radio link, represented a dangerous ambush for Russian aircraft at a distance of as much as 145 kilometers - when the attack began, the Russians would not even have time to react and fire back.

This tactic appears to have allowed the Ukrainians to shoot down several Russian planes late last year, which was only a prelude to more actions in February. But the downing of a rare Russian Beriev A-50 radar plane over the Sea of Azov on February 23 happened about 193 km from the front line, which is definitely too far for a one-ton Patriot.

The only missile system that Ukraine has access to - and that has such a range - is the old, ex-Soviet S-200 surface-to-air missile system, which fires a bulky eight-ton projectile.

The Ukrainian Air Force retired its S-200s back in 2013, but last year reactivated some of them as surface-to-surface attack missiles. It is therefore very likely that they are now re-using the S-200 in its original surface-to-air role. But what radars point to the S-200? According to The Telegraph, the original Soviet radars emit so much energy that they usually give away an impending missile launch, giving the targeted pilots enough time to take evasive action. But word has it that the Ukrainians have found a more subtle way to guide their most powerful missiles.

Back in February 2023, US President Joe Biden's administration announced a $2.2 billion military aid package to Ukraine, which included "equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars with Ukrainian air defense systems."

It was immediately recognized by many as the Integrated Combat Command System (IBCS), the US Army's Integrated Combat Command System, built by Northrop Grumman. And IBCS is not a radar, and it is not a missile either. It is a set of processors, radio links and algorithms that allows almost every air defense radar and almost all air defense missiles to work together.

"IBCS enables efficient and affordable integration of current and future systems," explained Northrop Grumman. The development of IBCS is not yet fully completed, but it is close. And while the Americans have not yet deployed any major IBCS components, the Poles have, and they are one of the largest suppliers of air defense equipment to the Ukrainians, especially since the Republicans have blocked American aid. If they had the IBCS parts, the Ukrainian air force could connect hundreds of long-range radars – including old Soviet models and the latest Western models – and use them to guide its missiles.

In any case, the IBCS works extremely well, and the US and allies should acquire it as soon as possible.