Ukraine’s small, backward and outdated fighter air force will not be able to successfully withstand Russia in the event of an open conflict, said Mark Episkopos, a columnist for the US National Interest magazine.
Unlike countries leading in the military industry, Ukraine does not have deep covert penetration capabilities to overcome Russian “layers” of missile defense. Therefore, the author of the publication believes that the units of the S-400 “Triumph” missile defense system based in the Crimea pose a serious threat to military facilities in the east and center of Ukraine.
“The S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems are capable of striking any air targets in the central part of Ukraine. All this is a serious threat to us, ”said Oleksandr Turchynov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Equipped with a powerful radar system and a diverse range of missiles, the S-400 can target manned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise and ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 400 kilometers.
From the Russian Air Force, the American observer singled out the “formidable fighter” Su-35S – it is capable of delivering devastating precision ground strikes against key targets thanks to a large array of missiles.
If hostilities unfold in a densely populated urban area, according to the author, it is impossible to do without infantry fighting vehicles. And Russia just has an excellent and effective example of the BMP-3M, equipped with a new turret and protection systems, additional types of ammunition, as well as a significant increase in firepower.
In addition, Moscow has not only the largest tank army in the world, numbering 13,000 pieces of equipment, but also the latest main battle tanks.
Among the artillery Episkopos especially singled out the modernized 152.4-mm self-propelled howitzers 2S19 “Msta-S”, which have 50 charges and a constant rate of fire from seven to eight rounds per minute, moreover, are equipped with advanced aiming technology. They can cover most of Ukraine, the author of the material summed up.