Posted on 03/04/2022 6:26:21 PM PST by Zhang Fei
More than a week into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Air Force has yet to commence large-scale operations. Inactivity in the first few days could be ascribed to various factors, but the continued absence of major air operations now raises serious capability questions.
One of the greatest surprises from the initial phase of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been the inability of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) fighter and fighter-bomber fleets to establish air superiority, or to deploy significant combat power in support of the under-performing Russian ground forces. On the first day of the invasion, an anticipated series of large-scale Russian air operations in the aftermath of initial cruise- and ballistic-missile strikes did not materialise. An initial analysis of the possible reasons for this identified potential Russian difficulties with deconfliction between ground-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, a lack of precision-guided munitions and limited numbers of pilots with the requisite expertise to conduct precise strikes in support of initial ground operations due to low average VKS flying hours. These factors all remain relevant, but are no longer sufficient in themselves to explain the anaemic VKS activity as the ground invasion continues into its second week. Russian fast jets have conducted only limited sorties in Ukrainian airspace, in singles or pairs, always at low altitudes and mostly at night to minimise losses from Ukrainian man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) and ground fire.
In recent years, analysts, including the author, have tended to focus on the impressive combat-air equipment modernisation conducted by Russia since 2010. Most notably, this has seen the VKS acquire around 350 modern aircraft in a decade, including the Sukhoi Su-35S air-superiority fighters, Su-30SM multi-role fighters and Su-34 bombers. There has also been an ambitious modernisation drive to remanufacture and upgrade around 110 Mikoyan Mig-31BM/BSM
(Excerpt) Read more at rusi.org ...
Putin is holding air power back for NATO involvement. Why else hasn’t it been deployed?
Nice balanced article with facts.
Bottom line...no one knows for sure.
There is no reason for Putin to show his high tech cards.
For those with actual curiosity there is a lot of speculation out there about new generation Soviet weaponry.
The idiot warmongers seem to want to follow the Nancy Pelosi principle—you don’t get to see what it is until we have World War III.
I finally found a sensible explanation for why Russia’s air force has been so absent: lack of jet fuel.
Commercial jets are reporting no fuel available at major airports.
They did not plan to be in this war and did not stockpile fuel. They also don’t produce enough to sustain their planes at a high operating tempo.
We forget sometimes, but Russia is a poor country. Their economy is about the size of Australia’s. Their productive capacity is vastly lower than ours and this is an area it shows.
“the VKS lacks the institutional capacity to plan, brief and fly complex air operations at scale”
There, gave the answer to the question.
Wow, thanks for posting
Russia used a bunch of planes to destroy the rebels in Syria. So what’s the deal here in Ukraine? Afraid that they’ll get shot down?
More dead Russian soldiers bothers Putin less than the risk of some of his planes being shot down. Life is cheap for Russia; planes aren’t.
Lol, I was going to post this pic. The Russians have never recovered from encountering Maverick back in the 80’s.
That’s my take on it.
I read somewhere that Russian military pilots typically get about 1/3 the seat time per year compared to US. If that’s true they lack experience.
Russia has often been described as a Third World Country. That their only claim to fame is the fact that they are a Nuclear nation. That they use their Nuclear bombs and missiles as their trump card to safeguard themselves.
This likely explains Putin’s call of his Nuclear forces to go on alert. To intimidate. To cover for his inept military.
He thought the Ukrainians would simply rollover.
When they fought back hard he was exposed. His pathetic military was exposed so, he used his country’s perpetual trump card. Threatening/Intimating Nuclear.
All those who have any thought of partnering with the Great and Powerful Russia/s should take notice. They are in fact neither.
That said, American Leftists are hellbent on turning our Armed Forces into an echo of Russia’s. PC/ LGBTQ/Tranny BS has been allowed to infect our military at the very top levels. If we don’t eliminate this PC BS soon our once greatest fighting force will be reduced to total ineptness as well.
I’m not buying that for a second.
What airlines need fuel in Russia?
Those inter-continental missiles spiked with nukes in Russia do NOT need gasoline. And Russia has more of them than United States. Does anyone think Putin would hesitate to launch those nukes if US got directly involved in Ukraine war? Does anyone think at his age and rumors of cancer, Putin cares if he dies in a war?
Korea Air for one:
Stinger missiles
What a crock! Russia is holding back, not going all out. These idiots think they can’t?!? Good God, our “experts” are just stupid.
Anytime Putin wants, he can go to Warp 10 and annihilate Ukraine. He is being prudent.
For now.
They also don’t produce enough to sustain their planes at a high operating tempo.
————— The US is buying 6-700,000 barrels of oil a week from Russia.
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