Recently, the White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby saidthat 90 per cent of the aircraft used by Russia to strike Ukraine are outside the range of the US long-range ATACMS missiles. This is because Russia has allegedly moved its aircraft further inland.
Despite such statements, aviation expert and former air defence officer Valeriy Romanenko in an exclusive commentary [Kommersant] said that ATACMS can be used effectively against Russian aviation.
“Airfields for attack aircraft have not disappeared. They were in Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Crimea, and they remain there, because otherwise their flight time exceeds their capabilities. A helicopter cannot fly for two hours to the front line – it is not effective.
In addition, the Russians have a bunch of so-called operational airfields where they can make a jump. For example, they bring in fuel and ammunition for 2 sorties, fly in from the base airfield, fly 2 sorties and return to the base airfield. They are also within the range of these ATACMS missiles,” explained Valerii Romanenko.
In his opinion, John Kirby was talking about the base airfields, which were really nearby and the Russians could probably relocate.
“But still, operational airfields and airfields for helicopters and attack aircraft remain within the range of ATACMS missiles, and our task is to block Russian activities from these airfields. This will already be a significant contribution,” the aviation expert said.
If Ukraine is also provided with JASSM missiles – American precision air-to-surface cruise missiles designed to hit important, highly protected stationary and moving targets in all weather conditions and at any time of the day, from distances beyond the range of enemy air defences, the issue with Russian aviation will be resolved in Ukraine’s favour.
“If they give us JASSM missiles, especially since they are available for F-16s, we will reach other airfields. JASSM has a range of 360 km and JASSM-ER has a range of 950 km. If the Americans give us JASSM-ER missiles, the issue with Russian aviation will be resolved, because it will be beyond the capabilities of Russian aviation, even bombers.
We and our partners need to think of ways to push Russian aircraft away from distant airfields to the Far East and the Urals,” Valeriy Romanenko concluded.
It is worth reminding that some Western partners provide Ukraine with long-range missiles that can destroy targets within a radius of approximately 300 kilometres. However, they are not allowed to be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to hit Russian territory. For example, the United States does not allow the use of ATACMS missiles for such purposes.
It is unknown whether the situation will change in the future, and John Kirby said at the same briefing that even in view of the recent shameful Russian attacks on Poltava and Lviv, where civilians were killed, there are “no announcements of any changes” from the US.
Author – Alyona Kaplina