UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS - 3 ANSWERS, PART 7: Air Warfare and Drones

Colonel Markus Reisner heads the development department at the Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt. Here he answers current questions about the war in Ukraine.

The Bundesheer Expert's Opinion:

The satellite images of the Russian convoy near Kyiv resemble a traffic jam in peacetime. Wouldn't it be easy for the Ukrainian Army to disrupt this deployment through air strikes?

For this, the Ukrainian side would need to have the appropriate means and capabilities. Suitable options would include fighter jets, ground-attack aircraft, attack helicopters, armed drones, ballistic missiles, multiple rocket launchers, or various artillery systems.

The fact that none of these means are being used against the convoy can be seen as an indication that the Ukrainian Army is already significantly weakened. Ambushes, raids, or disruptive actions by special forces could still be options. In fact, their attacks are already causing significant problems for the Russian troops in the east along the supply routes.

Let's continue with the question regarding the Russian convoy: What role do the Ukrainian Air Forces play in the event of defense? Aren't air defense weapons sufficient?

The role of the Ukrainian Air Forces includes a wide range of tasks. This includes first and foremost ensuring a comprehensive situational awareness over the entire state territory and beyond. In addition, there is the heavy use of mobile and stationary air defense installations and weapons such as surface-to-air missiles or cannons. These primarily serve to protect stationary facilities such as "Command and Control" structures or logistics warehouses.

Aircraft, on the other hand, form the active component of an air defense system. Only in this overall network is effective air defense possible. In addition, there are other air defense elements of the ground forces. These allow them to move protected on the battlefield. Here too, the former capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Forces are likely already significantly restricted.

What role do drones play in the current conflict? Isn't their importance overrated due to the relatively new technology?

Drones are indeed used on both sides. The Russian army uses them for combat close reconnaissance, artillery reconnaissance, and as a means of electronic warfare. There may also be some armed systems.

The Ukrainian side uses combat drones of the "Bayraktar TB2" type delivered from Turkey. At least in the first few days, these drones were able to successfully target several Russian objectives from the air (e.g. an air defense system, a train cistern, and some convoys). It is currently unclear if they are still in use.

BUNDESHEER on the Internet