As the war in Ukraine nears its third month, neither Russia nor Ukraine has been able to dominate the air, and both still have operational surface-to-air missile batteries and aircraft. This makes the war in Ukraine unique among the recent conflicts and provides useful lessons on how modern aircraft would work in the disputed airspace. In an interview with The Aviationist on April 7, Billie Flynn, a former Canadian lieutenant colonel and senior Lockheed Martin F-35 test pilot, highlighted the role the F-35 could play in similar circumstances. “The F-35 was designed precisely for the environment we now see in Ukraine,” Flynn said.
The new generation
A U.S. Air Force F-35A over RAF Lakenheath, March 22, 2022. US Air Force / Staff Sgt. Driv Gopinath
The F-35, built by Lockheed Martin, is one of only two fifth-generation fighter jets used by the United States, along with the F-22 Raptor, and one of four used worldwide. China’s J-20 went into mass production in late 2021 and has not seen a fight. The Russian Su-57 has not entered mass production and has only been deployed in a few limited missions in Syria. A multi-role stealth aircraft, the F-35 is intended for air superiority and strike missions. It is equipped with a powerful suite of electronic warfare and information, surveillance and reconnaissance. These capabilities, which allow the F-35 to collect and distribute real-time battlefield information to friendly forces, have earned it the nickname “the general of the skies”. The armament it carries varies. In a configuration known as “beast mode”, it carries four GBU-12 500-pound laser-guided bombs on its wings, two GBU-12s in its internal weapon case and an AIM-9 heat-seeking air-to-air missile. . This configuration sacrifices stealth for firepower. When in stealth mode, the jet renounces externally mounted weapons to maintain its low visibility profile. There are three variants of the F-35. The F-35A is designed for conventional take-offs and landings, the F-35B for short take-offs and vertical landings and the F-35C for aircraft carrier operations.
A troubled team
A US Air Force B-52H bomber and an Italian Air Force F-35 bomber on a training flight, March 7, 2022 US Air Force / Technology. Sgt. Korban Ludborg
In a disputed airspace, the survival of older fourth-generation fighter jets, such as the ubiquitous F-16, will be limited, Flynn told The Aviationist. F-16s “can not survive in the highly controversial world,” as in Ukraine, where there is a “significant number of advanced surface-to-air threats,” Flynn said. However, the F-35’s ability to enhance the capabilities of friendly aircraft is exactly what would make it invaluable in a similar collision, Flynn said. “The F-35 was designed to operate in highly controversial airspace, with capabilities focused on exactly what we see today in Ukraine. If you have an F-35, you do not necessarily need an F-16 to do the damage that the F-35 will do. brought “, according to the former F-35 test pilot. The F-35 would be particularly effective against surface-to-air missile systems and other ground defenses, eliminating enemy aircraft for airborne dominance. US Air Force F-35 at arimari Air Base in Estonia, February 24, 2022. US Air Force The stealth profile of the aircraft will be one of its main advantages in this. “Remember,” Flynn said, “we see them, they do not see us. It is like playing football when one team is invisible and the other has little advantage over the F-35. The F-35 will see all “Air-to-air enemy threats and kill them all, plus completely neutralize the surface-to-air missile threat to gain air dominance.” Once air dominance is achieved, aircraft such as the F-16 can provide additional firepower against enemy ground forces, but even then the F-35 will be needed to protect them, according to Flynn. The F-35 could also conduct close air support missions for troops on the ground. However, when friendly ground troops are in close contact with the enemy, the F-35 may need to use its less advanced armaments and take a greater risk to do so. “There may be a time when troops are in contact and you go down and use the gun on the F-35,” Flynn said. “This is a big risk for a $ 80 million F-35, but our job is to protect the troops on the ground.”
Flying solo
A US Air Force F-35A without radar reflectors over Eastern Europe, 28 February 2022. US Air Force / 1st Class Airborne Edgar Grimaldo
The United States has repeatedly said it will not become a fighter in Ukraine. The F-35s were conducting stealth missions near the Ukrainian border, although it is unclear whether they were conducting regular patrols to deter Russia or using their electronic capabilities to monitor forces in and around Ukraine. However, their presence so close to the conflict zone had an impact, according to Flynn. “Flying this jet along the east side of NATO is a significant deterrent to ‘Russian forces’ continuing their ambitions to push further east. Because the F-35s pose an extremely deadly threat,” Flynn said. “The F-35’s ability to neutralize the enemy can not be compared to any other aircraft flying in the air of anyone else,” Flynn said. “So the mere fact that there are F-35s scares everyone on the other side.” Konstantinos Atlamazoglou works for transatlantic and European security. He holds a master’s degree in security and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
