Ukraine's Soviet jets reborn: Modern weapons integration
The Ukrainian army is effectively modernising Soviet aircraft by integrating them with modern weaponry. As reported by the Ukrainian agency Unian, expert Anatoliy Khrapchynski explains how Ukraine is handling this challenge. He points out that "keeping equipment combat-ready is becoming an art."
Despite limited resources, the Ukrainian army is successfully modernising its Soviet aircraft, such as the Su-24, Su-27, and MiG-29. Thanks to the engineers, these Cold War-era machines are being transformed into platforms for contemporary weapons. Expert Anatoliy Khrapchynski emphasises that while this is a significant challenge, Ukraine is successfully adapting these aircraft with modern armaments.
Ukrainians are modernising their equipment
Khrapchynski mentions aircraft like the Su-24s, which have been adapted to carry British Storm Shadow and French SCALP missiles, boosting their capability to strike targets over great distances. Furthermore, the MiG-29 and Su-27 can now carry American JDAM-ER bombs, facilitating precise strikes on the enemy's rear.
Additionally, Ukraine is working on integrating AGM-88 HARM missiles to destroy enemy air defence systems, thereby opening up airspace for further attacks. However, the biggest challenge remains keeping these machines combat-ready with limited resources. "Keeping machines combat-ready is becoming an art," Khrapchynski observes.
Khrapchynski notes that the lack of spare parts and limited factory numbers mean each flight demands intensive work from engineers. "Few understand that sometimes one flight requires half a day's work for engineers with an entire hangar of spare parts," he explains.
The expert emphasises that air parity is not just about the number of fighters but involves an entire system where every element has a specific task. This includes aviation, air defence, electronic warfare systems, and drones. Ukraine aims to create such a system to gain air superiority.
Ukrainian F-16s
With international support, Ukraine is receiving modern aircraft like the F-16, which significantly enhances its ability to fight effectively in the air. The F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon, or Block 20 MLU (Mid-Life Update) models, provided to the Ukrainian army, were previously part of the air forces of Western countries, mainly the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. The F-16AM is a single-seater variant, while the F-16BM is a two-seater version often used for training purposes yet retaining full combat capabilities.
Although these machines originate from earlier generations of F-16s, the MLU modernisation has upgraded their combat capabilities to be comparable with later Block 50/52 versions. They have been equipped with modern avionics, communication systems compliant with NATO requirements, modern AN/APG-66(V)2 Doppler radars, and the capability to use a wide range of precision weaponry. Amongst this weaponry are JDAM-guided bombs, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
