d_taddei2 Sun Apr 10, 2022 7:54 am
flamming_python wrote: d_taddei2 wrote:Ask yourself when was the last time Russian Defense reported a Tor, S-300, Buk, Tunguska, being Destroyed?????? It's most likely that majority if not all have been Destroyed or sitting in the west, but Russia made an effort to target S-300 and BUK as far as western areas of Kiev. Last time they reported AD systems Destroyed it was OSA and even then we aren't hearing many reports of them being Destroyed now. And with Zelensky crying for more AD systems it only goes to show they have pretty much ran out of systems other than MANPADS and AA guns. Strela -10 and zsu-23-4 Destruction has also been quiet. i would guess they have very few systems left and the older stuff they had in storage is either sitting in the Lvov, or they failed to recommission them. Best method of dealing with such systems is drones, loitering around in areas where u believe such systems are, and once they are seen target them. The systems they have left would struggle to find/locate drones as well as target them.
It seems to me Russia are using drones much more now and making sure to take out TB2 and other drones. We haven't heard much Ukrainian aircraft being taken out in the air another indication that air space is pretty much in Russian hands. Ukrainian air force must be almost nonexistent they will be forced into flying L-39 next

That's if they haven't been Destroyed.
If all Ukrainian air defense was destroyed we'd see Su-34s, Su-30SMs, etc.. swarming all over Ukrainian airspace and taking things out with guided bombs, instead of cruise missiles being relied upon or at the maximum, some longer-range air to ground missiles like the Kh-59.
Instead Russia has only declared air superiority to be achieved in the Donbass so far.
I'm sure Russian multi-role fighters and tactical bombers are active; but even then probably closer to Russian lines, or not straying too far from Belarus.
Finland, Georgia and Azerbaijan both have Buks. I suspect they can be transferred to the Ukraine or have started to be already.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Macedonia all have Strela-10s. They'll be happy to offload them in return for newer American equipment.
And of course not all of the Ukraine's are taken out. What's the latest Rus MoD figures? Like 60% of their air defense systems out so far?
read my post again never said ALL Ukrainian systems were Destroyed but majority. Russia doesn't have to be flying all over Ukraine its main focus is the Donbass for now. And we have seen evidence of Russian drones taking out S-300 and BUK as far west as Kiev. Cruise missiles can be harder to detect than aircraft and USA will be watching Russian air fields like a hawk, once your loading up an aircraft then it flying off and flying over Ukrainian air space using dumb bombs which u have to be directly over the target USA will have worked out its target and relayed info to Ukraine. Using cruise missiles even from Aircraft within Russian territory they won't know the intended target as it can change course, hence Russia is using them makes it more difficult for uncle Sam. The same goes for Iskander and the speed of iskander gives little time.
Also let's not forget that Russia had also been targeting warehouse's containing AA missiles one report stated they targeted a warehouse containing Buk and S-300 missiles. The west can't produce these and without missiles the systems are useless. As for the west supplying other Soviet systems Strela 10 you would probably be looking at around 50 systems, Osa Ur looking at around 50-100 systems in Europe and Bulgaria might not send theirs, also those which are retired what condition are they in especially the missiles? And remember that these are short range systems Strela 10 @ 5km range and Osa around 15-20km Ukraine is a massive country to cover and these systems would be operating on optical guidance.
Sa-2, and Sa-5 systems majority retired for long time these types of missiles are most likely no longer safe to fire or been disposed of these are also high altitude missiles and need radars, Russia has been flying low so systems wouldn't be much use. Sa-3 Poland still operates some but yet again any in storage what condition is the missile, this also needs radars and sa-2, sa-5, sa-3 are all static systems and be easy to take out. All other Soviet systems that were in service will be too far gone to recommission.
As for Sa-6 although this is a SP systems it needs to be used with a radar which then effectively makes it a very static systems. Later versions did have optical guidance and these would be most likely the better version of the system to have.
But also another point these vehicles take a lot of fuel, or need transporting by heavy trucks and fuel is something Ukraine is in short supply of. And let's not forget Russian drones flying around these would become easy targets.
Last edited by d_taddei2 on Sun Apr 10, 2022 8:10 am; edited 2 times in total