The Romanian portal Defense Romania dedicated an article to how the Ukrainian Air Force uses the AGM-88 anti-radar missiles, supplied as part of military aid from the USA, to destroy the anti-aircraft missile systems of russian occupying forces.
For the Romanians themselves, thinking about such a topic has a completely applied nature, as they are still determining the most optimal format for using their F-16s. They understand that a World War II-style dog fight alone is not applicable for what they bought their fighters for, but how best to use their F-16s is still sorting through the options.
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In their thoughts, the authors of Defense Romania proceed from the following. They indicate that the AGM-88 missiles can engage a target in several modes that ensure effective destruction of enemy targets that have radar radiation. The russia’s crews of the Tor air defense system were unlucky a priori, because both the radar and the launchers for anti-aircraft missiles are placed on the same chassis.
Servicing the S-300s, namely the S-300PS modification, is "a little easier": the complex can have up to four 5P85 launchers, a 5N64 detection radar, a 5N63 radar and target guidance; to increase autonomy, radars of the 36D6 or 16Zh6 type can be attached. Accordingly, there is a "Russian roulette" probability that when the AGM-88 HARM is hit, one of the russians from the staff will survive.
Next, the authors of Defense Romania make the following question: will Ukraine’s combat aircraft dare to launch a massive attack on russia’s anti-aircraft missile systems using the AGM-88 HARM. And they give the answer: no, more likely such operations are for local destruction of russian air defense in certain areas in order to simplify the way for Ukraine’s planes to hit a specific target.
They explain that there are not so many planes at the disposal of the Ukrainian Air Force to risk them.
But the following paradox may arise from this. The very fact of the presence of American anti-radar missiles at the disposal of Ukraine’s combat aircraft can act as a "deterrent factor" for russians.
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