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☆ Ukraine's pilots are flying high-risk 'wild weasel' missions first developed in the Vietnam War by the USAF, says defense analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 Wild Weasel fires off an AGM-88 HARM towards a Russian radar. (Summer ‘22) pic.twitter.com/IOeu7hzUxW — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 8, 2024The US Air Force pioneered SEAD tactics in the Vietnam War. The term "wild weasel" originated from Project Wild Weasel. This US Air Force anti-SAM strategy used direct attacks to suppress enemy air defenses, according to the National Museum of the US Air Force. But, he added Ukraine's tactics "go far beyond the classic wild weasel missions of Anti-Radiation Missile equipped aircraft."

Persons: —, UkrAF Su, McDonnell Douglas, Stuart Lutz, Gado, Seaman Anthony N, Frederik Mertens, Mertens, William LaPlante, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Russian SAMs, James Hecker, Kajsa Ollongren, Putin Organizations: Service, Ukraine's, US Air Force, Radiation, Business, Ukrainian Air Force, Air, National Museum of, US Navy, US, U.S . Navy, Communication, Hague, Strategic Studies, Radiation Missile, Defense, Washington DC, Wild, Technology, Royal United Services Institute, Russian SAM, United States Air Forces, Air Force, Space, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, Dutch Defense Locations: Ukraine's Soviet, Eastern Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, treetop, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Yugoslavia, London, Europe, Romania, Norway, AFP, Netherlands, Vilnius, Denmark, Crimea, Kerch

☆ High maintenance 'prima donna' F-16 jets will be hard work for Ukraine, former US Marine pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is due to receive much-anticipated F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies. He said the jets are much more "high maintenance" than the Soviet-era aircraft Ukraine is used to. AdvertisementAs Ukraine awaits the long-anticipated delivery of F-16 jets from its Western allies, experts warn that it may face challenges operating the "high maintenance" aircraft. AdvertisementYuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, told Politico that some changes would be needed for Ukraine to operate the F-16 Fighting Falcons. AdvertisementA cohort of Ukrainian pilots began training on the F-16 in Denmarks's Skrydstrup Air Base last August, Reuters reported.

Persons: —, Tom Richter, Yuriy Ihnat, Lockheed Martin, Troels Lund Poulsen Organizations: Marine, Service, US Marine, National Guard, Politico, Ukrainian Air Force, Fighting Falcons, Falcons, US Air Force, Lockheed, Air Force's, US, Air Base, Reuters, New York Times, Ukrainian, Royal Air Force, French Air Force, The Times, Nokia, Times Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, Denmark, Netherlands, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Russian

☆ Russia and Ukraine are both beefing up their air defenses ahead of another winter of bombardment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ahead of another winter of war, Russia and Ukraine are bolstering their air-defense arsenals. The Russian military appears to be sacrificing elsewhere to reinforce its air defenses in Ukraine. AdvertisementAs the start of the second winter of their renewed war looms, both Ukraine and Russia are trying to beef up their air defenses. AdvertisementBut after two years of incessant barrages by Russian missiles and waves of Russian- and Iranian-made drones, Ukraine is running low on air-defense missiles and cannon ammunition. Russian missiles and drones have been a persistent menace to Ukrainian troops and civilians, but Russia has air-defense problems of its own.

Persons: —, Kostya, Ed Ram, Michael Kofman, Kofman, Ercin, Vitaly Nevar, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Russian, Patriot, Ukraine's, Soviet, AIM, 9M, RIM, The Washington, Getty, Carnegie Endowment, International, Anadolu Agency, REUTERS, British Defence Ministry, Defence Ministry, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's Soviet, America, Soviet, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Moscow, Crimea, Baltic, Kaliningrad, Forbes

☆ Ukraine got the top tanks it wanted from the West, but they're not yet changing the game
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Ukraine got the Leopard, Challenger, and Abrams tanks it asked its Western partners for. It's up to Ukraine to either use the tanks to defend against Russian offensives or preserve them for next spring, experts told Business Insider. AdvertisementNow, almost two years into the war, Ukraine has a force of advanced Western tanks at its disposal. Advertisement"These Western type of tanks are qualitatively superior to even the best Russian tanks that the Russians are using in Ukraine," Gentile told Business Insider. There are also questions of whether or not these will be the only Western tanks Ukraine gets, or if there are more in the pipeline.

Persons: Abrams, —, Seth G, Jones, Harold Brown, There's, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Austin Berner Ukraine, M1 Abrams, Gentile, Iraq's, DANIEL LEAL, hasn't, it's, Philipp Schulze, there's, they're Organizations: Russian, Service, Leopards, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, RAND's Arroyo Center, US Army, Army Staff, Challenger, M1, Soviet, Defense, Ministry of Defence, Getty, Business, Bundeswehr, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Fort Benning, Ga, Soviet, Russia, Soviet Union, England, Zaporizhzhia, Azov, Crimea, Avdiivka, Russian, Lower Saxony, Bergen

☆ Ukraine and the US are mixing weapon systems that weren't built to play together to up Kyiv's defenses, and apparently they work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They've seen success in using US missiles with Buk-M1 systems and HARM missiles on Soviet fighter jets. AdvertisementWith its air defenses working overtime to defend against constant Russian strikes, Ukraine is working with the US to create new capabilities by cobbling together Western and Soviet systems that weren't built to play together. Reporting earlier this year indicated Ukraine had found ways to modify the Soviet Buk air defenses to fire the RIM-7. The US and its Western allies have offered Ukraine air defenses like Patriot batteries, IRIS-T, NASAMs, and Gepard anti-aircraft guns, but Ukrainian forces continue to operate a number of Soviet air defenses, the Buk and the S-300 being among the most prominent. AdvertisementThe new capability was promising for Ukraine and indicated future modifications to its Soviet systems could be made, like firing US missiles from Soviet Buk vehicles, which are self-propelled, mid-range surface-to-air missile systems.

Persons: They've, —, Yurii Ihnat, Ihnat, SAMs, Richard, Diana Quinlan, James Hecker, Theodore Roosevelt, Seaman Anthony N, Olaf Scholz, Germany Organizations: Soviet, Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Kyiv Independent, RIM, American AIM, New York Times, IRIS, Amphibious, NATO, Valiant, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, US Air Forces, US, Politico, Marines, Thunderbolts, Marine Fighter Attack, Radiation, Nimitz, Communication, AIM Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, United States, American, Russia, Europe, Taiwan, Russian, Crimea

☆ Ukraine has begun 'in the air' training on F-16s, a key development in its fight against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's pilots are now learning to fly Western F-16 fighter jets. So, for Ukraine's allies, it was welcome news that Ukraine's pilots are finally flying F-16 fighter jets. "Some pilots are already undergoing air training with an instructor on combat aircraft," Ignat said during a nationally televised broadcast, according to the outlet. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine has sought F-16s for its arsenal of fighter jets since the early days of Russia's invasion. Defense experts previously told Insider that adding AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles could give the F-16s in Ukraine an "incredible capability" for close-range battles.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yuriy Ignat, Ignat, John Baum Organizations: Service, Russian, Ukrainian Air Force, Defense, US Air Force, US Navy, Netherlands Armed Forces, AIM, US Department of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, United States, Romania, Dutch, Romanian

☆ Ukraine could soon be a muddy mess, but its new Abrams were made for this fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The first batch of US-provided Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine. The heavy tanks are joining the battle just in time for the infamous muddy season, which has bogged down some systems. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's infamous mud season is on the horizon, raising questions about how the country's new Western-made armor, like the heavy US-provided M1A1 Abrams tanks, will perform in the coming muddy mess. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Abrams tank from 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment pulls security during Combined Resolve XIII at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfels, Germany, on Feb. 02, 2002. In order to maintain the Abrams' Honeywell AGT1500 engine, Ukraine will need a consistent support and a solid supply chain able to provide sufficient spare parts.

Persons: Abrams, —, Robert Greenway, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, YEVHEN TITOV, George Barros, Vladimir Putin's, Barros, they've, It's, Omar Marques, Mark Cancian, They're, Greenway, Douglas R, Bush, it's Organizations: Service, Hudson Institute, Army, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, US Army, Soviet, Getty, Institute for, ARIS MESSINIS, Nowa, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Marine Corps, Abrams, Honeywell, US Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Russia, AFP, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donbas, Southern Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Nowa Deba, Poland, Soviet, Soviet Union, Latvia

☆ Tank battles in Ukraine are putting several generations of 'crappy Russian armored vehicles' and their flaws on display
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementT-72s, T-80s, and T-90sUkrainians load a Russian T-72 onto a truck outside Izyum in September 2022. It also has a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the hull and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun on the turret. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS soldiers examine a Ukrainian T-80 tank during an exercise in September 2014. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Danish instructor leads a Ukrainian tank crew and translators through training on a Leopard 1A5 in Germany in May. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Ukrainian Leopard 1 tank crew at a test site in Ukraine in September.

Persons: —, ANATOLII STEPANOV, ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO, Sean Gallup, Uralvagonzavod, Russia hasn't, Sven Creutzmann, Barry Posen, John Moore, Posen Organizations: Service, Getty, REUTERS, NATO, Soviet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, LB, Leopard 2A5, Royal United Services Institute, 47th Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Izyum, AFP, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Syria, Poland, Soviet Union, Germany, Posen, Spain, Norway, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, British

☆ Ukrainian soldier says US-made Bradley fighting vehicles are 'priceless' in nighttime assaults, offering visibility better than in daylight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian soldiers have relied on US-made Bradley fighting vehicles to stay alive in combat. In a recent interview, one soldier said the Bradleys are "priceless" during nighttime assaults. Ukrainian soldiers and mechanics work on a Bradley at a secret workshop in the Zaporizhzhia region on July 13. But despite the heavy praise by Ukrainian soldiers, Bradleys are not indestructible and they have still fallen victim to Russia's formidable defenses and relentless artillery in the months since. Open-source intelligence collected by the site Oryx shows that 53 of the Washington-provided vehicles have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned during fighting.

Persons: Bradley, —, Ed Ram, Bradleys, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Biden Organizations: Service, Bradley, Russian, Ukraine's Strategic Communications Directorate, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Washington, Getty, —, US, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Soviet, Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine, Iraq, Zaporizhzhia, Bradleys, Kyiv, Russian, Washington

☆ Some of Ukraine's Western-made vehicles are getting 'killed' on the battlefield, but it's not as much of a win for Russia's forces as it was
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has lost protected mobility vehicles in its counteroffensive, including some Western-made vehicles. Because Western vehicle design prioritizes survivability, Ukraine's crews are surviving hard hits. Western vehicles are ensuring those troops survive even the brutal front-line combat of the ongoing counteroffensive. AdvertisementAdvertisement"While Western-supplied protected mobility may be doing a good job at enabling their dismounts to survive," Watling and Reynolds wrote, "there is still a high loss rate of platforms." In their new report, Watling and Reynolds argue that "Ukraine's international partners need to ensure that the industrial support is available to make the Ukrainian military sustainable."

Persons: wasn't, Bradley, SAMEER AL, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, Watling, Reynolds, Ed Ram, Getty Images Watling Organizations: Service, Vehicles, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, West, Washington, ABC, —, Getty Images Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, Wall, Silicon, AFP, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian

☆ A Soviet-style approach to war might be hindering Ukraine in its battles with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Soviet-style approach to war might be holding back Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. US officials told The New York Times that Ukrainian forces were evenly allocating their resources. Ukraine has continued to pour resources into eastern areas such as Bakhmut, baffling US officials. Unnamed US officials told The New York Times that Ukraine needed to focus its counteroffensive resources on southern Ukraine, as they have been spreading equipment and troops too widely and to little effect . The problem is that Ukraine — like Russia — fights under an old Communist doctrine that seeks to limit infighting between military divisions by evenly dividing resources, the Times reported.

Persons: Russia —, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: New York Times, Service, Times, Department of Defense, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Bakhmut, Crimea, Soviet, Germany

☆ Surface-to-air missiles are getting a workout in the Ukraine war — and not just shooting down enemy missiles and aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But reports show both Russia and Ukraine are also using SAMs to hit land targets. A S-200 surface-to-air missile system. On Sunday, a UK intelligence update said there were increasing reports of surface-to-air missiles striking land targets inside Russian-controlled territory. With the S-200s, Ukraine can strike Russia without breaking any promises to its allies. When used for attacks against land targets, the supersonic weapons are notoriously inaccurate and cause massive collateral damage.

Persons: SAMs, Ukraine's, Weeks, Ercin Organizations: Service, Patriots, TASS, Russia pummels, UNESCO, Heritage, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, High, Artillery, Systems Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, NASAMS, SAMs, Crimea, Western, Russian, Odessa, Getty Images Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine is closer to having F-16s, but don't expect them to suddenly start 'taking down' Russia's formidable air defenses, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In addition to anti-radar missiles, Ukrainian jets have employed US-made guided bombs, which Russia has countered with electronic warfare. While F-16s would allow Ukraine to better employ those weapons, Hecker said Russia's military will continue to adapt and adjust. "It allows us to follow through on the training of Ukrainian pilots. Although the timeline has been somewhat unclear, Denmark — one of 11 countries in the coalition — announced on Friday that it would start training pilots later this month. But training and equipping Ukrainian airmen to operate F-16s and other sophisticated jets will be a long-term project, Hecker said Friday.

Persons: Ukraine's, James Hecker, " Hecker, JOHN THYS, Hecker, It's, you'll, Beata Zawrzel, Kajsa Ollongren, Wopke Hoekstra, Antony Blinken, Pat Ryder, Yasuo Osakabe, US Air Force Hecker, they're, that's, it's Organizations: Service, US Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Siauliai, NATO, Getty Images, SA, NATO Summit, Defense, —, Pentagon, Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Alpha Jet Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Romanian, Lithuania, AFP, Russia, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Japan, France

☆ Ukraine has 14 kinds of howitzers to batter Russian forces, but each gun brings a new problem for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has 14," Patrick Hinton, a British Army captain, wrote in a recent article on Ukrainian artillery for the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank. Ukraine's arsenal of towed 155 mm howitzers includes the US M777, British AS-90, France's TRF1, and the British-German-Italian FH-70. For armored self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, Ukraine has received three variants of the American-made M109, plus Germany's PzH 2000, Poland's Krab, and Slovakia's Zuzana 2. To add to the mix, there is France's truck-mounted 155 mm Caesar gun and Lithuania has sent old US-made M101 towed 105 mm howitzers that were designed in 1941. Crash coursesA Ukrainian serviceman in a PzH 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzer near Bakhmut in June.

Persons: Patrick Hinton, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, France's TRF1, Poland's Krab, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Cannon, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Hinton, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Artillery, Russia, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Anadolu Agency, Getty, British AS, NATO, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, British, US, Bakhmut, Italian, Lithuania, Czech, AFP, Soviet, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Europe, Forbes

☆ Ukrainian vigilantes are tearing down Russian statues and landmarks in the night to 'decolonize' their cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian vigilantes are tearing down Russian statues and landmarks in their cities. Activists told The Washington Post they want to "de-Russify" and "decolonize" Ukraine. Zelenskyy signed two laws last month to promote Ukrainian language and culture over that of Russia. The activists — operating under umbrella organizations such as Decolonize Ukraine — are recording the locations of Russian iconography across big cities and small towns, according to The Washington Post. The Post reported that these efforts range from Russian language on street signs and public art to Soviet symbols and statues dedicated to Russian soldiers.

☆ Britain will send Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, giving it dramatically enhanced range to strike at Russian positions deep in occupied territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UK Defense Secretary confirmed Britain would send Ukraine Storm Shadow long-range missiles. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for weapons to hit Russian positions deep behind the front line. The stealthy Storm Shadow is an air-launched long-range cruise missile jointly developed by the UK and France. The US has said it will not send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to Kyiv because it has few to spare. It was the first Western ally to send Ukraine its Challenger 2 tanks, after which the US sent M1 Abrams tanks.

☆ Even with F-16s, Ukraine's pilots still wouldn't be 'out of the woods' against Russia's air force, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Polish and Slovakian MiG-29s would add to Ukraine's fleet and be familiar to Ukrainian pilots but won't bring much more capability than Ukraine's current MiG-29s. 'The hard work'A pilot exits a Polish Air Force F-16 at an airbase in Poznan in November 2006. If the US or another NATO country elected to supply Ukraine with F-16s, Kelly said his first question would be "what sustainment depot are they going to use? "Again, that's just for the short-term of being able to launch or recover aircraft," Baum said. Ukraine's new jets would also be flying against Russian air-defense weapons that have claimed dozens of Ukrainian aircraft and continue to contest the airspace around the front lines.

☆ Ukraine's Soviet-era tanks are getting stuck in the mud, falling apart, and frequently won't even fire, tank force commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Old tanks break, get stuck, and sometimes don't even fire, a Ukrainian tank platoon commander told the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian forces hope they can get their hands on modern and advanced Western tanks. Ukrainian units report that their older T-64 tanks are getting stuck in mud, are constantly in need of repair, and sometimes won't even fire. But while Yehor's T-64 tanks have been indispensable, he said it's getting harder to keep them running. An Ukrainian T-64 tank crew makes repairs after leaving the battlefield in Ukraine, on March 9, 2023.

☆ Fighter jets are 'worthless' over Ukraine, and it's a sign of what US pilots and troops may face in future battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As a result, neither side is able to provide close air support to its troops on the front line. US pilots and ground troops may face a similar situation in future wars, US Air Force leaders say. They're not doing a whole lot because they can't go over and do close air support," Hecker said. "Close air support in a contested environment, that's not what we do, no matter who you are," Brown added. William GreerSince taking over as the top Air Force officer in August 2020, Brown has stressed that future battlefields will be more complex and deadly for the Air Force.

☆ Ukrainian pilots are calling the US Air Force for tips on using US-made missiles and bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Members of the US Air National Guard have been providing advice for using US-made weaponry. Despite US support, Ukraine's air force is still at a disadvantage against Russia's larger force. Ukraine's air force still faces a tough operating environment. A California Air National Guard officer discusses exercise Safe Skies with his Ukrainian counterparts in July 2011. Ukrainian Air Force via Twitter"We've just got them some precision munitions that have some extended range and go a little bit further than a gravity-dropped bomb," Hecker added.

☆ Some of the most important weapons in the war in Ukraine aren't new and aren't fancy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Coverage of the war in Ukraine has often focused on the new, high-tech weapons being used there. These are Soviet systems. Coverage of the war often credits Western weapons sent to Ukraine as turning the tide on the ground and allowing a Ukrainian counteroffensive to roll back Russian gains. Ukraine is fielding more and more Western weapons as its older Soviet equipment is destroyed or replaced. It's a sign of desperation that after losing more than 1,000 tanks in the war, Russia is using T-62 tanks that were obsolete nearly a half-century ago.

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