Ukraine begins to use US tactics during Vietnam War against russian army

The Air Force of Ukraine adopted the tactics of the US Air Force during the Vietnam War to destroy russian air defenses on the front line, writes Business Insider, after studying videos of flights of Ukrainian combat aircraft.

The tactic, dubbed "Wild Weasels," which means not "brotherly" hugs, but a fierce wild creature, involves jet pilots allowing enemy air defense radars to identify themselves. After that, the radar waves are tracked to their source, and then AGM-88 (HARM) missiles are struck at the established coordinates.

The US will supply Ukraine with air-to-surface HARM missiles from mid-2022. Their flight range is about 150 km. They are capable of detecting enemy radars and hitting them even after disabling the radar systems. The US military used HARM for this purpose in Libya, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia.

At the same time, HARM missiles are difficult to adapt for launch from Soviet-made MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft, which form the basis of the Ukrainian Air Force fleet. To make the planes compatible with Western weapons, Kyiv used iPad tablets to control the missiles, US Under Secretary of Defense, William LaPlante, said.

However, this year Ukraine is to receive Western F-16 fighter jets, which will be provided by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. The first fighters will probably arrive in June-July.

"Ukraine is clearly adopting the experience of Western military thought," says Frederik Mertens, an analyst at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies. According to him, the use of "Wild Weasels" tactics is associated with high risk, but "the game is worth it." He added that russian air defense assets remain the main target for the Ukrainian army, which is trying to destroy them with the help of aviation, GMLRS and ATACMS missiles, drones and even special forces raids.

But russian forces are also adapting to the attacks, says Justin Bronk, senior research fellow in aviation and technology at the Royal London think tank Royal United Services Institute. HARM launches now serve "a superior rather than a destructive purpose," he said, with russian anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) operators turning off their radars and moving quickly to avoid being hit.

"This leaves a short window during which other strike systems, such as HIMARS missiles or Storm Shadow missiles, can reach nearby targets with much less risk of being intercepted by russian air defense systems," Bronk noted.

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