**The plane is terrible, the second A-50 early warning aircraft is finished, maybe it was destroyed by the US F-35, we have two universities in China.
The successive crashes of the Russian A-50U AWACS aircraft have attracted international attention. Why did these two incidents happen? Why is a well-respected early warning opportunity so frustrated? The hidden reasons and deep-seated problems in this make people have to trace back to the source in order to gain insight into the mystery.
Starting from this accident on February 23, 2024, the news that the Russian A-50U AWACS aircraft was shot down on the battlefield in Ukraine has caused widespread doubts. This is not the first time that the Russian army has lost A-50U, and on February 26, 2023, the Ukrainian army destroyed one in Minsk, Belarus, which sharply reduced the number of A-50U AWACS aircraft in the Russian army to 5. What is the deep inside story behind this?
Looking back a month before the incident, the Ukrainian Air Force conducted an ambush in a forest somewhere in Berdyansk, sniping at the Russian A-50U. The ambush tactics were unique, and the AWACS aircraft was shot down outside the safety range, which was jaw-dropping. This makes us think, what caused this AWACS aircraft to get rid of the usual absolute control circle and go to the edge of fate?
First of all, Ukraine used guerrilla tactics to break the safe zone of the Russian A-50U. The AWACS aircraft plays the role of an "air command post", and its highly sensitive radar covers a range of hundreds of kilometers, and once a threat is detected, the base is immediately notified to prepare for defense. However, the success of this ambush may be due to the fact that the Russian AWACS aircraft broke through the safety range and failed to obtain an effective escort.
Secondly, the Ukrainian army has an accurate grasp of the A-50U early warning aircraft, including key data such as flight trajectory, speed and frequency. This allowed the Ukrainian army to unerringly deliver a fatal blow when the AWACS aircraft crossed the security line. In peacetime, AWACS aircraft usually have 2-4 escort fighters when performing missions, but this time it may have led to a fatal flaw due to the accuracy of technical reconnaissance.
As for the reason for the downing, some experts believe that it may have been caused by the US F-35 fighter. This has aroused the alarm of the international community. Has the US military mastered a new method of shooting down AWACS aircraft remotely? This possibility is alarming for China.
On the whole, the lack of light enemy and technology is the main reason why the Russian A-50U AWACS aircraft has been shot down many times. Needless to say, the importance of the early warning aircraft has become an unavoidable topic in our military development.
For China, these two events have taught us two major lessons. First of all, AWACS aircraft must not go beyond the safety range when performing their missions, and their high cost makes us need to protect them very carefully. Secondly, in wartime, it is necessary to equip AWACS aircraft with sufficient escort fighters to ensure their safety. This is crucial, and it is necessary to even increase it to more than 4 aircraft, and if necessary, to refuel in the air.
In the current international situation, we should not take it lightly. Scientific and technological innovation and first-class research and development are the only way for us to become a military power. Only by constantly improving our own strength can we prevent the enemy from coveting and bullying outside the country. This is an important guarantee for the stable development of our country.
The occurrence of these two incidents has not only brought substantial losses to Russia, but also made the international community re-examine the urgency of the military posture and the arms race. As observers, we need to remain vigilant at all times, constantly learn from the experience of other countries, and constantly strengthen the building of national defense capabilities in order to safeguard the country's long-term peace and stability.