Russian Air Force Failing In Ukraine Despite Fighting Own Systems

As former Soviet republics, both Ukraine and Russia operate much of the same military equipment - especially fighter jets and air-defense systems. And yet, Ukraine has rendered the Russia Air Force largely ineffective and has even shot down a number of the latest Russian planes, despite the fact that the Russians should know the vulnerabilities of the weapons they are up against. 

One explanation is that Russian pilots simply dont get enough training (because it's expensive and their superiors are afraid of losing or damaging planes when not attacking an enemy like Syrian or Libyan tribesmen). Another reason may be that due to the structure of the Russian military, the air force and air defense leaders refuse to talk to each other. JL

Peter Suciu reports in 19fortyfive:

The conflict in Ukraine is unique in that both sides are relying on much of the same equipment. Russia and Ukraine are former Soviet republics, and each has relied on legacy military hardware from the Cold War era. Ukraine operates Soviet/Russian-made air-defense systems. Despite the fact that these are not the most advanced, Ukraine has downed some of Russia’s most capable aircraft. "It’s surprising for the Russians because the systems they’re going against are their own. They should know them well and how to defeat them. It begs a real question: How come they don’t understand their own systems and how they might defeat their own systems?”The Russian Air Force in Ukraine – Fighting Itself and the Past: Despite its failure to maintain air superiority over the skies of the Eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, Russia, on Monday, claimed that its air force successfully conducted a combat sortie on several Ukrainian command posts. The bold claims were made by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement. Footage of the attack was also shared online, which purported to show that a command post of the Ukrainian 25th Air Assault Brigade, deployed near Siversk, was hit in one of the airstrikes.

 

This comes as there are reports that Russia is now engaging in an “operational pause” in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported this week. How long that pause could last remains unclear.

Russian Air Force Facing Its Own Systems

The conflict in Ukraine – both on the ground and in the air – is unique in that both sides are relying on much of the same equipment. Although this has been normal in “civil wars,” it is far less common when involving two different nations. Yet, as both Russia and Ukraine are former Soviet republics, each has relied on legacy military hardware from the Cold War era.

This has impacted the Kremlin’s combat capabilities, explained the United States Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr. on Wednesday at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., Business Insider reported.

“I think for me it’s surprising for the Russians because the systems they’re going against are their own systems,” Brown, a command pilot with more than 2,900 flying hours, including 130 combat hours, explained. “They should know them fairly well and how to defeat them. It kind of begs a real question for me: How come they don’t understand their own systems and how they might defeat their own systems?”

As with other former Soviet republics, the Ukrainian Air Force still operates such fixed-wing warplanes as the Su-24 and Su-25 attack aircraft and the MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets. The Kremlin has upgraded versions of those aircraft, as well as even more modern fighters, yet the Ukrainians are well-versed in the various capabilities of the warbirds.

In addition, Ukraine operates Soviet/Russian-made air-defense systems, including the S-300 – some of which have been donated by other nations. Despite the fact that these are not the most advanced systems, Ukraine has successfully downed some of Russia’s most capable aircraft.

One factor has been that Russia’s pilots may lack adequate flight hours. As previously reported, Russia doesn’t have continuous major air exercises that replicate battles, and they don’t train their pilots with elaborate flight simulators as Western pilots do.

The Kremlin has also operated in the skies in what has been described as a “risk averse style,” meaning that it has rarely penetrated deep behind Ukrainian lines.

“For years, much of Russia’s air combat training has highly likely been heavily scripted and designed to impress senior officials, rather than to develop dynamic initiative amongst air crews,” the British Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) explained in a series of tweets on social media last month.

(4/6) For years, much of Russia’s air combat training has highly likely been heavily scripted and designed to impress senior officials, rather than to develop dynamic initiative amongst air crews.

— Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) June 20, 2022

Another factor is that Russia didn’t follow the standard playbook in achieving air superiority, something that the United States successfully executed during the First Gulf War in its 1991 invasion of Iraq.“We were able to take out many of the surface-to-air defense systems to clear areas so then we could provide air superiority over the areas where the ground forces were operating,” Brown added. “That’s not the way the Russians have operated. They really haven’t looked at suppressing air defense.”That failure to suppress Ukraine’s air defenses has resulted in a complete failure to achieve air superiority, and Russia will continue to lose aircraft because of it.