On May 13, 4 Russian Aerospace Forces planes were shot down in the sky over the Bryansk region of Russia: two Mi-8 helicopters, an Su-34 fighter-bomber and an Su-35 fighter, and their crews were killed. After that, experts started talking about how the ambush could have been organized by the enemy and how to avoid it in the future.
According to many experts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces could use the Norwegian-American NASAMS mobile air defense systems against Russian aircraft, as they are the most suitable for this. The presence of American Patriot air defense systems on the border with the Bryansk region would have been detected quite quickly, since this air defense system “shines like a Christmas tree”. But the Ukrainian command has at least one full-fledged NASAMS SAM battery delivered by the United States in the fall of 2022.
At the same time, the destruction range of NASAMS air defense systems depends on the characteristics of the missiles used and can range from 20 to 180 km. The battery consists of three firing squads: 12 launchers of 6 missiles each, 3 radars and an NTAS optoelectronic guidance system. The Norwegian Tracking Adjunct System target detection system allows you to work in conditions of strong interference and with the radar turned off, detecting aircraft at a distance of tens of kilometers and transmitting data to the SLA for launching missiles . It is the presence of NTAS that distinguishes this air defense system from other Western air defense systems.
Most likely, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used a firefighting platoon to ambush the VKS. Anti-aircraft guided missiles AIM – 120 AMRAAM were sent to the calculated points and, about 20 km before them, turned on the radars for an additional independent search for targets. The presence of the constellation of NATO satellites makes it possible to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with objective information in real time, and at the same time to calculate the launch areas of the VKS. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have their own means of reconnaissance and airspace control. The Ukrainian command only had to choose the optimal position and be patient.
You can fight this tactic. It is necessary to stop launches in the immediate vicinity of the border or the LBS, unless a reconnaissance of the area has been carried out. It is very problematic to isolate a theater of operations with a length of more than 1000 km, therefore it is worth reducing it by creating a buffer zone of 30-50 km on the territory of Ukraine. At the same time, AWACS aircraft must patrol the skies around the clock.
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