e7alr
262
It is pretty obvious that we have been feeding real time tactical surveillance data, including integrated AWACS data, to Ukraine and their air defense grid. An F-16 in that environment probably doesn’t even need to turn its own radar on.
Ukraine does have two AWACS Jr’s they got from Sweeden. Don’t know if they’re fielded yet
Ukraine didn’t inherit any of those Antonov AWACs systems the Soviets started building in the 80s? Or did Russia jack all of them during the collapse like they did the Kuznetsov?
It was certainly a cold launch. Just a question of how close it was when it went pit bull. Which for an AMRAAM is something like five miles. Not enough time to evade it considering how stupid fast they’re moving. Especially in a fairly lethargic SU-34.
I wonder if the pilot had time to eject after it Prox fused. Or did he get shredded before he could pull the handle?
Russia has been using the MiG-31s as ghetto AWACs. Which kind of makes sense. That things radar is dumb.
e7alr
267
You have to figure the radar detection grid spotted the SU long before it got into firing position. Not real hard for a trained FAC crew to plot an intercept and firing point for a fighter lurking at low level. The defending fighter can launch, turn and flee while the targeted aircraft won’t know about the incoming missile until too late.
e7alr
268
It was also probably a closing engagement, with the SU’s own speed making the closure even faster.
That has got to be the most terrifying situation possible. You know nothing and everything seems fine and then at the very last possible second every RWR warning goes off at the same time because the missile went pit bull for final approach. So you know you’re fixing to turn into a fireball but you literally can’t do anything about it. Even if you eject chances are the shrapnel will tear you to pieces once your plane blows to pieces right afterwards. That sounds absolutely terrifying. Not a job I would ever want.
At least in the old days of Vietnam before AWACs and data transfer was a thing you usually got some early warning when the opposing aircraft lit you up on radar before the missile left the rails. So you had a chance to attempt some evasive maneuvers. Now you just die violently with a five second heads up.
Unless you’re in a F-22 I guess because that thing just seems like an instant win code. Like when they snuck up on Iranian Phantoms in the gulf and the American pilot warned the Iranian pilot he was underneath him by literally telling him his own loadout. No doubt that Iranian wet himself when that happened. Got in gun range without them even knowing they were ever there.
e7alr
270
The glide bomb strikes have been giving the Ukrainians fits. And the strike profile has been launch points from Russian controlled airspace, outside of Ukrainian SAM range. Being able to vector an AIM 120 armed fighter close enough to the border to fire on the strike aircraft has to have been a priority. I figure the Russians thought they had the attack profile figured out to allow them to shoot and retreat from a safe release point. If this happenned, their mission planning just got harder, especially if they didn’t detect the F16.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if the Russians have to actually get their Su-35s in the air to fly escort. They’ve been treating them like priceless China since they lost a few to S-300s early in the war. That’s the only plane they have that could really threaten the Viper from BVR with the R-77. The Su-27s need AWACs because their radars are really outdated and basically ■■■■■ So the Su-35 is the only thing that could do the job.
e7alr
272
The problem for the Russians is that their skill level appears so low. The Ukrainian pilots are pushing it to the limit every day. That makes the tip of the spear real sharp.
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Makes sense. The Russians don’t get a lot of flight time cause they’re always worried about engine longevity (turns out the Soviet strategy of just building an ass ton of AL-31s and never developing its reliability is a bad idea when you lose those production capabilities) and they ration training fuel like it’s liquid gold. They probably don’t get a fraction of the flight hours the Ukrainian pilots get when they train in the UK or Germany.
I think a lot of the issue comes down to the military capabilities the Soviets left their successor states. Ukraine has had the advantage of getting a ton of western gear, which is frankly just better especially when you’re forced to keep it in service for longer. The Soviet military was always structured to fight a really fast nuclear war against NATO and that shines through with their equipment, which is durable in the field but it’s unreliable as hell when it gets some usage hours on it. It seems like the Soviets never expected the stuff to last long enough to matter and it was a better idea to just replace it every few hours. Fine when you have the world’s largest production capability but it becomes a problem when you’re a post Soviet state that doesn’t have access to all that and you’re forced to treat the equipment in the same way the West treats its designs but it was never designed for a long lifespan.
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Zelenskyy claims the NoKos are sending troops to assist the Russian army.
Hmm
The libz would wet their skivvies.
sweeden gave them 2 ASC 890’s
Why not? Inclusion right?
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Conscript females and the feminazis will go berserk. You know, the ones who are nowhere to be found when American women are being raped and murdered by illegal invaders.
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