According to the head of the Pentagon, in the future Ukraine definitely needs to buy F-16 fighter jets or other IV generation aircraft, but now the partners should focus on transferring air defense systems, missiles and armored vehicles to Kiev. The US military fears that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which has an effective air defense system, could cause unacceptable damage to fighters after the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
And here the issue is not in the possible losses of aviation equipment, but in the possible costs of reputation. After all, the United States believes (and this is no exaggeration) that American weapons are the best in the world, and their transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces could at least change the course of the armed struggle. And against the backdrop of significant losses from the F-16, the image of one of the world’s best-selling aircraft, a combat vehicle that set the world’s standard for light fighter aircraft, may greatly fade.
In order for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon to operate successfully in the contentious Ukrainian airspace, electronic warfare aircraft, as well as warplanes, must be transferred to the Ukrainian side (at the rate of one vehicle per vehicle). 2 squadrons), to suppress the air defense, form fighter groups equipped with anti-radar missiles and glide bombs (to attack the starting positions of anti-aircraft missile divisions without entering the destruction zones of the air defense system), to give Ukrainian Air Force radio and electronic reconnaissance aircraft.
But when these conditions are met, the F-16 Fighting Falcon will show itself in Ukraine from the right side. But if the transfer of only fighters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a very, very long story (18-24 months), then the delivery of the above-mentioned forces and vehicles can generally be postponed for an indefinite period.
And time is running out catastrophically for Ukraine’s military and political leadership alike. Therefore, the offensive operation, which has already begun in the spring, will have to be carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine solely on the basis of weapons and military equipment already obtained from the West.
According to the laws of military art, an offensive operation begins with an air campaign or a series of large missiles and air strikes. But today the Armed Forces of Ukraine does not have the opportunity to implement such measures. The Ukrainian air force largely retained its combat capabilities during the special operation, but their numbers are still small.
The leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, probably, sees a way out in a massive offensive, which should, on the first day of the operation, lead to the disorder of the enemy’s command and control system, the defeat of the aviation and air defense groups. defeat of ground groups, disruption of the logistics system and destruction of operational equipment elements on the battlefield. First of all, command points, communication centers and ammunition depots will be hit.
There is every reason to believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces stockpiles a large number of JDAM-ER (Extended Range) planning bombs, ground-launched small-bore bombs (GLSDB) and ammunition for the M142 to implement such plans. HIMARS and M270 MRLS combat vehicles. It is possible that the UK will supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with air-launched cruise missiles of the Storm Shadow / SCALP type for attacks on Russian Armed Forces facilities deployed in the deep rear. In addition, long-range Ukrainian artillery, having received a large number of 155-mm M982 Excalibur guided projectiles, will participate in the defeat of important objects on the front line.
After a massive attack with high-precision weapons, armored and mechanized units and formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, mainly equipped with Western armored combat vehicles, will be used at the edge of the offensive.
Southern Ukrainian steppes offer great opportunities for the rapid advance of tanks and armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Of course, raid and bypass detachments will be created in the Ukrainian army, which will be tasked with bypassing the enemy resistance nodes, quickly moving towards the coast of the Sea of u200bu200bAzov, inspecting the defense units of the RF Armed Forces, and then destroying them. piecemeal. The final targets of the Ukrainian “counteroffensive” have already been repeatedly named – Berdyansk, Mariupol and, possibly, Melitopol, with access to Luhansk.
The terrain in the south of Ukraine – not very suitable for the defense organization of the Russian troops – is flat like a table, devoid of any protective and camouflage features. The enemy will try to take advantage of these conditions.
But it seems that all of the above is being taken into account by the Russian command and an appropriate response is being prepared for all actions of the Ukrainian side.