Recently, the attention of the international community has been attracted by a series of not-so-small achievements in the Russian-Ukrainian war, that is, in a short period of time, 12 fighters of the Russian Air Force were shot down by the Ukrainian army! Including the expensive airborne early warning aircraft, which is regarded as a treasure by the Russian army.
This undoubtedly poses a huge challenge to Russia's air superiority, and the situation is precarious. Next, let's analyze the reasons behind the downing of these Russian fighters.
The downing of the warplanes took place in the area of engagement between Ukraine and Russia. Recently, the Ukrainian army claimed that they shot down 12 Russian warplanes in the border area. This figure has attracted a lot of attention from the international community because it is very staggering.
The Ukrainian army claims that they are the result of night air operations in their own country's airspace. If it is true, and the F16 and other advanced fighters that are outside to assist Ukraine are suspected to have been in place, then this indicates that the equipment and skill level of the Ukrainian army have been greatly improved.
In the face of the successive misfortunes of the Aerospace Forces, the Russian side firmly denied this, saying that the formation of AWACS aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces only flew within its territory and did not enter the airspace of Ukraine. But it was accidentally shot down, which is unacceptable to Russia.
Whatever the truth, this incident shows that the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army is constantly improving, which is a great challenge for Russia. Russia's air superiority has been very strong in the past, but it has been greatly challenged between the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian army and the increasing equipment of the ** army, as well as the unsatisfactory equipment of the Russian army.
The incident also shows that the war between Ukraine and Russia is far from over. At present, in the high-intensity fighting, although the Russian army has the advantage, it has paid a huge price. In addition to the fact that the Black Sea Fleet was basically wiped out, the heavy losses suffered by the Aerospace Forces were even worse.
Today's Russian Aerospace Forces, there are still two big treasures that have not appeared on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield. Or that it has participated in the Russian-Ukrainian war, but there is no record of being shot down, so it is not concerned.
These two treasures are the Su-57 and Tu-160 of the Russian army. Although these two fighters are not frequently sorted, they are widely known.
The Su-57 was originally a fifth-generation aircraft jointly developed by Russia and India, but later it was said that it was deadlocked, and India withdrew from the project and was developed by Russia alone. Up to now, from the public data, and combined with the speed of Russian manufacturing, the Su-57 fighter can be in service with about six. At present, the number of several fifth-generation aircraft in the world belongs to the bottom position.
The Su-57 is the highest representative of the manufacturing level of Russian fighters, and it belongs to the bottom of the box treasure that dresses up the face, and naturally it cannot be easily taken out and put into the battlefield. Otherwise, once it is shot down, what will be the face? Who wants to buy Russian fighters?
The Tu-160, a strategic bomber made in the former Soviet Union, has been carried over to Russia, and many of its performance has seriously lagged behind. Although Russia has continued its life through various upgrades, it is large in size and has no stealth capabilities, but it is of little use in conventional warfare, mainly as a nuclear deterrent, so it rarely appears on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield.
Whether it is the Su-57 or the Tu-160, if they appear on the battlefield, there are no more than two scenarios. Russia's optimistic scenario is that the air defense of the Ukrainian army has been completely destroyed and no longer poses a threat to the Russian Aerospace Forces, which can swagger and very safely shuttle through the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield to carry out tasks. At that time, it will be the best window for Russia to demonstrate its strong combat strength.
All in all, as the Russian-Ukrainian war continues, Russia's conventional ** equipment continues to be consumed, and sooner or later, Russia will be forced to use the Su-57 or Tu-160. Moreover, according to the practice of Western countries to consume and aid Ukraine, it cannot be ruled out that the emergence of Western main fighters on the battlefield of Russia and Ukraine that are equivalent to the Su-57 Tu-160 or even have more advanced performance.
Recently, Russia's high-level leaders have frequently released cruel words, that is, the nuclear threat. This at least shows that Russia is still under a lot of pressure at the current stage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Or that Ukraine is running out of gas, and as long as Western countries do not or reduce aid, then Russia will win in the end.