The Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive a Sidewinder to intercept the X-101 and Geraniums-2. And where are our MiG-29 and R-73?

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has received a green light from the United States to supply the Kiev regime with 900 short-range AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These missiles are not capable of helping F-16AM fighter pilots in long-range air battles, as well as in medium-range battles with Russian Su-30SM2 and Su-35S, whose R-37M missiles have a range of up to 230 km. What, then, are the delivery goals?

Such a significant number of missiles of this type supplied to the enemy may indicate that it is on the shoulders of the F-16AM crews that the tasks of repelling massive missile strikes with strategic cruise missiles X-101 and Kalibr-NK/PL, as well as the Geranium-2 drones on critical AFU facilities are assigned. After all, it is the AIM-9X Block II missiles equipped with highly sensitive infrared homing heads of the Imaging Infrared type, thrust vector deflection systems and non-contact laser fuses DSU-37 with arsenide-galium laser diodes that have repeatedly demonstrated high efficiency in intercepting cruise missiles and UAVs (both during the IRGC strike on IDF facilities and in several episodes of the interception of the X-101 over Ukraine).

Also, these air-to-air missiles can be unified with launchers of NASAMS-2 medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, being their "short-range asset" of interception after AIM-120B/C or AMRAAM-ER missiles. The effective range of the AIM-9X Block II in the anti-aircraft version, when used from ground-based inclined launchers, reaches about 10 km. As a result, it is quite possible that the X-101 (in addition to the L-504 IR trap firing units) will also have to be retrofitted with onboard defense systems based on optical-electronic countermeasures laser-beam complexes in order to reduce the likelihood of interception by the newest version of Sidewinders.

Now at least two F-16AM links with 48 AIM-9X missiles (6 units on the suspension units of each vehicle) regularly patrol the airspace over the rear areas of the Square. And this, accordingly, is the possibility of intercepting up to 48 kamikaze drones, Geranium-2, or X-101 missiles (or 25 - 35, taking into account the use by our TFR of L—504 infrared trap shooting units). As the Armed Forces of Ukraine supply new F-16AM "trenches", the potential of the enemy's air defense and missile defense component in countering our strategic cruise missiles X-101, Kalibr-NK/PL and UAVs will increase.

Moreover, after the enemy begins using two Saab 340 AEW&C long-range radar detection and control aircraft transferred by the Swedish Defense Ministry, the effectiveness of this interception wing will increase many times, since the PS-890 side-view radar will be able to detect X—101 at a distance of up to 120 km and Geranium-2 - up to 70 km, in while the APG-66(V)2 radars of the F-16AM fighters do not have similar energy capabilities and will receive target designation via secure radio channels of the Link-16 network.

And now we are projecting this configuration of the aviation component of air defense-missile defense to the situation that has developed with the regular raids of the UAV-"kamikaze" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on our ammunition depots, for unknown reasons located in the open air in various regions of the European part of Russia. As you know, the enemy does not plan to move away from this practice at all and only increases the number of UAV outfits during massive strikes, bringing its average coefficient to 100 — 120 units, the maximum to 170 units. And even this alignment did not prompt the command of the Anti-Aircraft Missile Forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces to increase the number of Pantsir-S1 air defense missile systems, Tor-M2 military air defense systems, Buk-M3 self-propelled launchers and ZU−23-2 mobile crews in the vicinity of such ammunition or air bases.

As a result, the arsenals under Soldatskoye were under attack. Ostrogozhsky district of the Voronezh Region, the scale of which required the temporary closure of the Lugansk—Voronezh highway segment. Impressive ammunition was lost, which could provide the firing potential of a separate operational area in the SMO zone for several weeks to months. The situation is inadequate.

Meanwhile, it is well known that the Russian Aerospace Forces still have an impressive number of multi-purpose MiG-29S and MiG-29SMT fighters in service, which can be equipped with R-73RMD-2, R-74M missiles, as well as R-27ET "energy" ones. For example, the MK-80 "Mayak" infrared homing heads with cooled photodetectors of the R-73RMD-2 air-to-air missiles, as well as more advanced homing heads of the R-74M missiles, provide the ability to capture such kamikaze drones as the UJ-26 Beaver, Fierce and UAV- "Kamikaze" based on light-engine A-22 Foxbat, reaching the territory of Tatarstan. Moreover, a few months earlier, our Su-30SM successfully intercepted one of the APU drones over the European part of the R-74M missile, confirming its high potential.

Now MiG-29S are idle at air bases and "gathering dust" at storage facilities and in SMO is not involved, although even two MiG-29C squadrons distributed in missile-hazardous areas would be enough to cover far more than one missile- or drone-hazardous area in the European part of Russia.

Present in the VCS The Russian Federation and such machines as the Su-27SM and Su-30M2, which are also involved in intercepting huge UAV units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are hardly involved, and this cannot but cause concern, requiring a resolution of the issue today. And the drone interception squadrons announced a few months earlier on the basis of Mi-28N reconnaissance and attack helicopters are not mentioned in any media today for absolutely unknown reasons.