So why are they still flying? Why isn’t there an air dominance? And I would argue there isn’t an air dominance, because otherwise the “counteroffensive” wouldn’t have to get to the defence lines. Likewise, the situation in Crimea and elsewhere would be easier. Not to mention fucking long range missiles still being supplied!
From my understanding any flying that happens is just to get jets up in the air to shoot long range missiles, and then they go right back before getting within AD range. There’s also very few left as we’re seeing. The long range missiles the west is feeding are definitely having some impact, but the context is that Russia is using an order of magnitude more missiles and drones pretty much on daily basis. If that’s what wins the war then Russia is winning.
I think ultimately what this comes down to is that it is a war of attrition, and Ukraine can’t sustain this for much longer because the west simply doesn’t have the industrial capacity to keep it going. The only question is how long before Ukraine finally understands this.
They have an air force?
Don’t worry fellas, when the A-10s get delivered we’ll defeat them in the air!
three months later
Don’t worry fellas, when the F-16s get delivered we’ll defeat them in the air!
three months later
Don’t worry fellas, when the F-35s get delivered we’ll defeat them in the air!
edit: changed “bros” to “fellas”
A-10 is curious plane, USAFboos consider it to be 8th wonder of the world, but in reality it’s a shitty plane that even the USAF themselves have not much illusion about, and know it’s mostly good for murdering people who aren’t armed in anything better than machine guns.
The A-10 and SU-24 are incredible and hard hitting planes that can take a beating and annihilate anything on the ground.
That is if you have total air superiority. If the enemy has ANY multirole or interceptor in the air, your CAS is toast.
Also you better pray your enemy doesn’t have any modern MANPADS
I once saw a video of ukranian pilots training to pilot A-10s (literally by playing DCS World, a russian flightsim) where they said that the US had promised them the A-10s. I don’t know if it is true though.
On the one hand, it would be funny in a schadenfreude way to see those fuckin meme planes get rekt and their myth exterminated.
On the other hand, it will only prolong the slaughter, will cost lives and the poor performance will be blamed on ukranian pilots to maintain the facade. So hopefully the A-10s don’t get supplied
Don’t worry fellas, when the F-35s get delivered we’ll defeat them in the air sea!
Don’t forget that the F-35 is a much better submersible than it is an airplane.