Tactics help Ukrainian air force avoid overwhelming Russian aircraft

A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter (Illustration: Wikipedia).

Forbes commented that there is a main reason why the Ukrainian air force still exists after more than a year of war with Russia, even though the number of aircraft Kiev possesses is only a fraction of Moscow's.

In the early days of the war in February 2022, Ukraine’s air force quickly left its major military bases and dispersed its forces across the country’s highways. So when Russia launched missiles at Ukrainian bases with the goal of demilitarizing the enemy, these fires could not hit Kiev’s most important weapons.

After more than a year of fierce fighting, Ukraine’s MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters continue to operate on highways and avoid Russian attacks. Videos posted on social media show Ukrainian fighters weighing tens of tons taking off from highways to carry out missions against Russia.

According to the RUSI Institute (UK), in February last year, thanks to the rapid dispersion of forces, Ukraine protected many military aircraft from "firestorms" from Russia.

"Although significant damage was caused (to the bases), it did not have a decisive impact on the fighting because Ukraine quickly dispersed its forces to reduce its vulnerability to attacks," RUSI said.

The legacy of the Soviet era has helped the Ukrainian fleet implement this tactic effectively. Both the Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters of Ukraine have large, sturdy wheels and high landing gear that position the aircraft’s air intakes high above the ground. This feature is intended to reduce the chance that the fighter jets will ingest rocks or tree branches or other debris that could damage the turbines. As a result, the Soviet-era fighters have been able to take off and land on highways for more than a year.

On the other hand, according to military expert Pranay Sinha, most intercity highways in Europe and Russia are wide and strong enough to easily serve as emergency runways for military aircraft. The only requirements are that these roads must have enough clearance and the 3km stretch must be straight, without curves, and the apron must be free of lights, poles, and tall buildings.

The Soviet Union built a vast network of highways, roads and subways, all with the possibility of future war in mind. Ukraine inherited this legacy, allowing virtually all fixed-wing aircraft to take off and land on its highways. This is important because it allows air forces to operate even if their bases are bombarded.

On the other hand, according to Forbes , the Ukrainian Air Force seems to have prepared for this scenario after tensions with Moscow flared up in 2014 - the time when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. Ukraine has been training its squadrons to take off and land from highways for several years, making the tactic more effective.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/chien-thuat-giup-khong-quan-ukraine-tranh-doi-phi-co-ap-dao-cua-nga-20230412142916236.htm