“This is just the beginning.” Ukraine announced on Tuesday, October 11, that it had received an anti-aircraft defense system delivered by Germany. Three more are expected in 2023. “A new era of air defense has begun”enthused Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, recalling that American deliveries of another model were also on their way to kyiv.
“Anti-aircraft defense is currently the number one priority of our defense cooperation”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. Franceinfo deciphers the challenge of these equipment supplies.
State-of-the-art system delivered from Germany
The Iris-T SLM surface-to-air system sent by Berlin is capable of protecting a large city against air raids, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It acts as a 360° shield, thanks to a series of missiles that can travel 40 kilometers and neutralize enemy threats up to 20 kilometers in altitude. First tested in 2014, “this aerial system is one of the most modern on the market” to be present “the first modern medium-range anti-aircraft system received by the Ukrainians”, underlines the specialized site Air-Cosmos.
/2022/10/12/phpJ2Y2e0.jpg)
The surface-to-air missile systems promised by the United States are Nasams. This equipment, made up of a radar, launchers and missiles, makes it possible to “spot, target and destroy” planes, drones and cruise missiles, according to one of its designers, the American company Raytheon. Twelve countries already have Nasams, including Spain and the Netherlands. These systems “protect Washington [la capitale fédérale américaine] continuously since 2005″, boasts the other designer, the Norwegian Kongsberg. Two deliveries are expected in kyiv in the coming weeks, and six more in the longer term.
/2022/10/12/phpxx4W3Z.jpg)
Several months of training required to master this equipment
Ukrainians have “an urgent need” anti-aircraft defenses to deal with indiscriminate bombing by Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, two days after massive strikes on several Ukrainian cities. During these bombardments, around thirty missiles had touched down and around fifty others had been intercepted, according to kyiv.
Until now, Ukraine depended on an arsenal inherited from the Soviet years. “To face the Russian air force during the first months, that was more than enough”, analyzes for franceinfo the researcher Pierre Grasser, specialist in questions relating to Russian defense. But after eight months of conflict, “this stock is almost exhausted”. Hence the importance of delivering new equipment and training the Ukrainian army in it, as is the case “currently in Spain”.
Twelve-week training is required for the Iris-Ts, according to Nicholas Fiorenza, an analyst at the private UK research center Janes, who “don’t see them making a difference until next spring”. Until then, the pressure will not drop on Western arms industries, which have long relegated anti-aircraft defenses to the background, useless in the fight against terrorism in the Iraqi-Syrian zone, in Afghanistan or even in Sahel.
Ukraine will remain vulnerable in the air, despite a strong defense
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has made little use of its air force. The Ukrainian lines were flown over the first weeks, with “a certain number of keystrokes”but also “significant losses” material, recalls Pierre Grasser. Since then, longer range strikes are preferred. “There is clearly a lack of availability in this Russian aviation, problems with spare parts”, believes General Jean-Paul Paloméros, former boss of the French Air Force. Not to mention a lack of“trained men”adds Pierre Grasser.
Monday’s bombings, however, served as a reminder of Ukraine’s vulnerability in the air. The next suppliesIris-T and Nasams will not suffice. “Ukrainians need more”warns the head of NATO. “They need different types of air defense: short-range, long-range, systems against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones. Different systems for different tasks”details Jens Stoltenberg.
In the field, “air defenses must overlap and the different weapon systems support each other”confirms Gustav Gressel, expert of the European Council on International Relations. “There is no panacea in terms of weapon systems, as long as the targets have different speeds, ranges, altitudes and data.” In other words, no anti-aircraft shield is completely watertight, especially against cruise missiles. These systems, expensive and imperfect, are no less essential, if only to support the morale of the population.