CONTINUES…
The AIM-9X is also present, a faster missile than its -M predecessor capable of pulling more G’s and manoeuvres more quickly and dramatically to deal with notching fighters. We’re talking 40G+ turns in flight which is a mind boggling number. It’s relatively short ranged and uses Infra-red.
Also shown is the AIM-120 AMRAAM, an active radar homing missile.
What that means is the F-16 radar can pick up an enemy at say 70 miles, fire the missile and the missile will find its way to the target without further communication from the aircraft or need to have the aircraft ‘illuminate’ the target with its own radar. The typical fire and forget approach. They’re said to be almost invincible at up to 50-60km but effective hitting ratios drop dramatically after that to under 40% and decline with range.
Ukraine was also supplied with additional anti-radar HARM, small diameter glide bombs and the larger JDAM systems.
The F-16 was not equipped to carry and was never fitted with StormShadow or its equals. It’s not impossible they could be equipped to carry one with modifications but it’s a very big missile and I just don’t see it on this aircraft type.
Other things that were being noted from the video were the runway that appears to be no more than a gravel strip. It’s entirely likely the landing gear has been beefed up to cope with non-traditional bases. We all know the Russians will be hunting these aircraft down.
I suspect they’re waiting to use their missile stockpile - they haven’t used them in weeks - for a strike against these bases.
Which brings me in to the field of the Shaheed drones. Russia has been sending these out with tracker kits and dummy warheads to scope out attack paths. They have also been using dummy warheads in some to act as targets while other drones try and get through.
Clearly they’re trying there best to find ways around defences and to waste defensive effort.
So a mixed bag of news but all of it good for Ukraine.
Meanwhile Iran is planning a war ‘to cross all of Israel’s red lines’. Expect it to start any hour.
‘The Analyst’ MilStratOnX
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!
