Russia has lost control of its airspace due to a shortage of A-50U aircraft
The aggressor nation’s air and space forces currently have no more than four operational A-50U long-range early warning aircraft in service.
This significantly limits Russia’s operational capabilities to monitor Ukrainian airspace and provide direct air-to-ground guidance for fighter aircraft.
Such a shortage of special-purpose aircraft could become a key tactical factor should Ukraine acquire modern Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets in the future.
According to information from specialized Russian sources, the modernized A-50U aircraft with tail number “47 Red” recently returned to service following a refurbishment.
The work was carried out at an aviation facility in Taganrog. It is worth noting that this particular aircraft was the very first Russian A-50 to be modernized into the improved A-50U version back in 2011.
However, even after this aircraft’s return from repairs, Russian military analysts openly acknowledge the critical situation.
They note that only four aircraft of this type are currently in “rotational service” with the occupying forces. The rest of the available equipment is unable to perform combat missions due to technical malfunctions or the need for major repairs.
The A-50U aircraft play a strategic role in the sky as mobile airborne radars and provide long-range target tracking.
It is these aircraft that help enemy fighters, specifically the Su-35S and MiG-31BM, receive precise target designation for the use of R-37M long-range missiles.
The fewer of these aircraft Russia can get airborne, the worse its ability to control the situation in the sky and escort its own aircraft becomes.
In total, over the past few years, Russia has managed to acquire eight modernized A-50U units, but at least three of them were lost for good during combat operations.
In February 2023, one A-50U was damaged at the Machulishchy airfield in Belarus as a result of a successful drone attack.
Subsequently, in January 2024, another aircraft was shot down over the Sea of Azov, and in February 2024, a third aircraft was destroyed over the Krasnodar Krai region of the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Defense Express.
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