Ukrainian Air Force

Author
Discussion

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

7,580 posts

152 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Just had a quick look on Wikipedia. Doesn’t look like they’ve got a lot to defend themselves with and what they do have is from the Soviet era. This could be all over very quickly…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Air_Force


The Road Crew

4,240 posts

159 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
No doubt about it I'd say, they'd be finished off quickly by the Russian airforce, as would the RAF if we were to wade into a proper air war!

Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Putin has it all mapped out. He prepared for the entirely predictable Western sanctions and will simply take what he wants. He knows he can beat whatever the Ukrainians throw at him and he knows the West isn't going to start a shooting war to defend them. And economically we need his gas. He has most of the cards, doesn't have political opposition or democracy to trip him up, and his media are supportive (unlike ours would be). Not daft our Vladimir.

So we may as well sit back and watch the show. It's a damn shame really because I really wanted to know what kind of sandwiches Boris was eating on 22 Dec 2020, whether he was standing up or sitting down when he ate them, and whether the cake was chocolate or Victoria sponge. That's proper news, but it was killed off after only three weeks.

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

7,580 posts

152 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Is it too late to send an RAF C17 back to Ukraine to collect our anti-tank missiles and launchers before they get surrendered to the Russians and analysed/reverse-engineered?

andyA700

2,605 posts

36 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
Is it too late to send an RAF C17 back to Ukraine to collect our anti-tank missiles and launchers before they get surrendered to the Russians and analysed/reverse-engineered?
Do you really think that the country who first put a man in space and currently runs the ISS, are so technologically backward that they cannot design anti tank weapons?

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

7,580 posts

152 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Not at all, but I bet they wouldn’t say no to seeing how the West do it. Save them a few roubles too.

FourWheelDrift

88,375 posts

283 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
Just had a quick look on Wikipedia. Doesn’t look like they’ve got a lot to defend themselves with and what they do have is from the Soviet era. This could be all over very quickly…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Air_Force
Of the retired aircraft only the Tu-160s would have been useful but.

"Ukrainian Air Force inherited 19 Tu-160s from the former Soviet Union, and subsequently handed over 8 Tu-160s to Russia as exchange for gas debt relief in 1999; the remainder were scrapped under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement led by the US"

Ukraine is by capita the poorest country in Europe - https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings... so not exactly flush with money to spend.

andyA700

2,605 posts

36 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
LotusOmega375D said:
Just had a quick look on Wikipedia. Doesn’t look like they’ve got a lot to defend themselves with and what they do have is from the Soviet era. This could be all over very quickly…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Air_Force
Of the retired aircraft only the Tu-160s would have been useful but.

"Ukrainian Air Force inherited 19 Tu-160s from the former Soviet Union, and subsequently handed over 8 Tu-160s to Russia as exchange for gas debt relief in 1999; the remainder were scrapped under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement led by the US"

Ukraine is by capita the poorest country in Europe - https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings... so not exactly flush with money to spend.
Also one of the most corrupt.

roverspeed

700 posts

195 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
and his media are supportive (unlike ours would be).

.
I would say they are scared of death, rather than supportive :-D

tangerine_sedge

4,699 posts

217 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
andyA700 said:
FourWheelDrift said:
LotusOmega375D said:
Just had a quick look on Wikipedia. Doesn’t look like they’ve got a lot to defend themselves with and what they do have is from the Soviet era. This could be all over very quickly…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Air_Force
Of the retired aircraft only the Tu-160s would have been useful but.

"Ukrainian Air Force inherited 19 Tu-160s from the former Soviet Union, and subsequently handed over 8 Tu-160s to Russia as exchange for gas debt relief in 1999; the remainder were scrapped under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement led by the US"

Ukraine is by capita the poorest country in Europe - https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings... so not exactly flush with money to spend.
Also one of the most corrupt.
Besides Russia and Belarus that both have proper dictators in place...

Gargamel

14,957 posts

260 months

Thursday 24th February 2022
quotequote all
roverspeed said:
Simpo Two said:
and his media are supportive (unlike ours would be).

.
I would say they are scared of death, rather than supportive :-D
Given the number of journalists who have had problems with gravity and windows, I would say that's entirely accurate.

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

7,580 posts

152 months

Thursday 24th February 2022
quotequote all
This on BBC News homepage.


Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Thursday 24th February 2022
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
roverspeed said:
Simpo Two said:
and his media are supportive (unlike ours would be).

.
I would say they are scared of death, rather than supportive :-D
Given the number of journalists who have had problems with gravity and windows, I would say that's entirely accurate.
Agreed. Those who disagree with him and don't exit hastily are jailed or bumped off. That's how he gets things done. Democracy and a free press really slow down progress because 90% of one's time and energy is spent arguing...!

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Friday 25th February 2022
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Been reading about "The Ghost of Kyiv", who apparently whilst flying a Mig 29, took out 5 or 6 jets out yesterday.

blue_haddock

3,142 posts

66 months

Friday 25th February 2022
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Trevatanus said:
Been reading about "The Ghost of Kyiv", who apparently whilst flying a Mig 29, took out 5 or 6 jets out yesterday.
I wonder when someone last gained "ace in a day" status?

Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Friday 25th February 2022
quotequote all
blue_haddock said:
I wonder when someone last gained "ace in a day" status?
Wiki is up to date! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aviators_who...

I'd have guessed Vietnam, but it seems not.

The best people at knocking down Russian a/c were the Germans. However I don't think they're available this time.

havoc

29,922 posts

234 months

Friday 25th February 2022
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Trevatanus said:
Been reading about "The Ghost of Kyiv", who apparently whilst flying a Mig 29, took out 5 or 6 jets out yesterday.
Has that been validated yet or is that just another internet story?

roverspeed

700 posts

195 months

Saturday 26th February 2022
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How effectively can the raft of nato elint and awacs aircraft flying up and down the Ukrainian border assist the forces in the air and on the ground? Is it simple radio relays of positions etc?

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Saturday 26th February 2022
quotequote all
roverspeed said:
How effectively can the raft of nato elint and awacs aircraft flying up and down the Ukrainian border assist the forces in the air and on the ground? Is it simple radio relays of positions etc?
There'll be a control centre, possibly even in one of the aircraft, collating the reports and passing on a summary.

In the Battle of Britain the radar sites were essential, but what really made them effective was the admin structure comparing radar reports observer corps reports and so on and turning them into instructions for fighter squadrons.

roverspeed

700 posts

195 months

Saturday 26th February 2022
quotequote all
I see! Thank you.

The modern equivalent of those big boards with little wooden models on them.