Ukraine Took Down 2 Russian Command Airplanes

Hotair ^ | 01/15/2024 | John Sexton

[SeekAndFind]

Ukraine reportedly shot down two of Russia’s top-tier aircraft over the Azov Sea. One of the planes, a Beriev A-50 is similar to an American AWACS, with a large radar dish mounted above the fuselage of the plane. The price tag of this plane is reportedly over $300 million dollars and Russia may have as few as 9 or 10 of these planes in service.

Ukrainian media reported an A-50 early warning and control aircraft was shot down on Sunday evening shortly after take-off over the Sea of Azov in the Kyrylivka area of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine…

It’s reported cost per aircraft is a massive $330m.

These AEW&C aircraft are vital to maintaining air superiority by functioning as the eyes for all aircraft operating in combat. Because they have very long-range radar search capability, they can share a “picture” in a broadcast to all airborne combat aircraft and assist fighter aircraft in completing intercepts and engagement of adversary aircraft through more direct communication…

The A-50 has 15 mission controller personnel who interpret radar returns and can control up to ten fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-surface attack missions.

The other plane was a turboprop IL-22 used as a flying command center. This second plane appears to have made an emergency landing so the extent of the damage is unclear. But once again, Russia may have as few as 12 of these in service. For Russia, replacing the lost personnel could be harder than replacing the plane.

“Both types are only operational in small numbers and are critical to command and control of Russian air operations and ground-based air defense coordination,” said Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow specializing in airpower and technology at the Royal United Services Institute, or RUSI, a British military think tank. “Replacing any lost mission crews would likely be almost as problematic as replacing the aircraft themselves, since Russia has major training pipeline challenges as a result of the sustained intensity of combat operations against Ukraine over the past 23 months,” he added…

…if Ukraine’s claims are true, it’s an “extremely embarrassing” incident for the Kremlin, no matter how the planes were lost, said Frank Ledwidge, a former British military intelligence officer and senior lecturer in war studies at England’s University of Portsmouth.

“These things should not be killed in an environment like that. They really should not,” he said.

Reuters reports Russian military bloggers agreed that the lost crew is going to be a problem.

Some Russian military bloggers said the downing of the A-50 would be a huge loss for Russia’s air force, since there was a limited number of the planes in service.

“It will be another dark day for the Russian Aerospace Forces and Air Defense,” wrote Rybar, a blogger with nearly 1.2 million subscribers that supports and provides running commentary on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“There are not many A-50s. And the specialists operating them are generally rare. If an aircraft of this type is hit, the crew will not be able to escape.”

Here’s what the two planes look like.

🚨 BREAKING: Ukraine confirms to have shot down two Russian planes over occupied Berdyansk on the Azov Sea:
– Russian A-50 AWACS IL-76 reconnaissance plane. ($300m)
– Russian IL-22, possibly the Special Mission variant PP radar jammer (pictured). Distress messages intercepted.


pic.twitter.com/cevtEsl29r

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) January 14, 2024

That’s all we know for now. Russia still hasn’t said anything about the incident which is often what happens after a major loss. Of course the loss of two planes won’t be a turning point on the ground but it could make it harder for Russia to target its missiles and maintain any air superiority. It’s going to need to pull up replacement planes and also replacement crews. But the worrisome thing for Russia is that having done this once, Ukraine may be able to do it again. Russia may need to operate further back in its own territory to prevent a repeat.

[Nextrush]

The old “Iranian General hasn’t been seen story” Israel often used to get Iran to have to deny the report and show a picture of the general to help Israel locate them.

This is designed I guess to force some denial from Russia.

[Williams]

Russia is suffering incredible losses to its military over a drawn out fight with a much smaller country. Truly a disaster.

But if they win they’ll have the strategic benefits and time to rebuild.

It’s essential that they don’t win.

[Uncle Miltie]

I quite detest what Russia has done.

But are there enough Ukies and 155mm artillery left to continue the fight?

[canuck_conservative]

Good shootin’ !!

So much for the “Ukraine is finished” propaganda narrative ...

[11th_VA]

Europe will step up the pace - those were big losses today for Putin; this is like watch Yosemite Sam, trying to get the wabbit

[kiryandil]

No, The Ukraine didn’t.

[canuck_conservative]

We’ll find out tomorrow ... if Putin orders another big missile salvo in a fit of anger, then we’ll know the Ukrainian strike was effective

[Kazan]

Only an idiot anything the Ukrainians claim without proof.

And, how many Ukrainians did the Russians kill today? How many Russian missiles hit their targets?

Ukraine can only lose more troops and more territory unless it unconditionally surrenders. NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT REALITY.

[kiryandil]

then we’ll know the Ukrainian strike was effective

You misspelled "NATO", Chummy-boy.

[Reverend Wright]

High value aircraft lost to AD missiles is more of a problem for countries that depend on air superiority.

Just like sinking capital ships via missiles is more of a problem for major naval powers.

[roving]

Pro-Ukraine stories are not allowed in here. It’s all propaganda. You’re going to make people cry. Only pro-Russian propaganda is allowed.

[roving]

Russia has lost 500,000 men, killed and injured. All the Ruskies said that Russia would take Ukraine in 30 days. They would lose 500,000 more men before they do.

[Steven Scharf]

Reuters reports Russian military bloggers agreed that the lost crew is going to be a problem.

They spend a lot of time an effort shooting at people on the frontlines when they should be identifying and targeting people in the back. The techs are far more irreplaceable.

They do need to keep working on the small radar systems that they have ben hitting.

[Kazan]

You're living a fantasy world.

The BBC and Mediazone can only confirm 40,000 or so Russian causalities. And, even if they can't find information on all the causalities, there is no way the total number is even close to 100,000.

[Kazan]

https://en.zona.media/article/2022/05/20/casualties_eng

Russian casualties in Ukraine. Mediazona count, updated 40,599

Russian casualties corroborated by publicly available data as of 29 December

[ansel12]

Those are only the ones confirmed by name by searching through public sources, how many Ukrainians killed have been confirmed by name?

[USA-FRANCE]

Russia will surrender in the end. When it will feel depleted enough and once some Kremlin agent make Putin disappear.

More than a third of Russias total national budget is now oriented towards war against in Ukraine. That’s a proof that Russias was is a spectacular failure.
Russian tax-payers are starting to understand that for-ever wars are costly.
No nation on the planet can sustain such war economy for long.

Putin thought it would be easy taking Ukraine... “in a matter of days”... Well, 2 years later we can all witness one absolute fact : Putin is the greatest miscalculating human being the world has ever witnessed.

Unless.... he is a NATO agent with a mission to deplete Russias army beyond no return? And make NATO’s expansion massive (yes.. Finland, Sweden, right?). Who knows... :)

[Forward the Light Brigade]

English Rockets and tec teams on loan to Ukraine did good and shot them down, giving Ukraine credit! Jolly Good Show—until WW III starts.
The big problem is not enough Ukes to pull the triggers. We can make 155 shells on day long but people are harder to make.
What can we do? 1) Hire mercenaries from other lands to fight Russia—Poles, Turks, India? 2) Form an international Brigade in USA and hire a whole modern army of Americans to fight for Ukraine—with American Commanders Like the French Foreign Legion. 3) Send in Germ Bombs on Russia—get the whole land sick—Bio weapons. 4) Drop Poison Gas on Russian Troops like WW I, use Gas on Russian Cities. 5) Surprise Nuke attack on Russia—a few Nukes to Mr. Zelenski to use on Moscow—with some rockets to carry them. One first strike and the war is done! No Russia we will have World Peace! NOT