/ world today news/ The USA made the first conclusions after the accident with the MKu-9 drone in the sky over the Black Sea. First, the United States changed the routes of UAV flights – now they stay away from Crimea. Second, Washington refused to supply the MKu-9 to the VSU. What do the two decisions mean in practice and what consequences will they lead to in the future?
The US is keeping its reconnaissance drones away from Crimea. According to CNN, citing a senior US military official, the routes of reconnaissance UAVs have been changed following the recent crash of the MKu-9 drone in the Black Sea. In particular, drones are now flying at higher altitudes and farther from Crimea. Changing the flight path, however, “definitely limits the ability to gather intelligence.”
The drones should not be “too provocative,” the channel’s sources said, as President Joe Biden’s administration avoids any incident that threatens to escalate into direct conflict with the Russian military.
After the MKu-9 crashed into the Black Sea on March 14, Washington said the cause of the crash was an aggressive maneuver by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet that allegedly hit the device’s fin. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation indicated that the American UAV violated the “borders of the zone of the temporary regime for the use of airspace”, which Russia established in connection with the start of the SVO.
The Pentagon later released video of the incident. The footage shows the Su-27 approaching the UAV at high speed, opening the fuel dump valve and pouring it onto the drone, after which the transmission was interrupted. Another fighter is then shown approaching, repeating the fuel dump maneuver, and then the bent propeller blade of the MKu-9 Reaper flashes into the frame.
The Russian military department indicated that the American drone flew with transponders turned off and violated the regime’s limits on the use of airspace near the Crimean peninsula. A few days later, the Su-27 pilots were awarded state awards, and then Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded them the Order of Courage.
We remind you that in Russia, after the fall of the drone in the immediate vicinity of the coast of Crimea, they announced plans to pick it up and study it. The drone is equipped with numerous electronic systems and components. Of particular interest in it are communication modules, optical and electronic sensors, radars and transmitters. After contact with salt water, they would certainly be in an unusable condition, but could still give access to US military and intelligence technology.
In addition, now the US does not want to lose any more drones near the Russian borders. In particular, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, said that it does not make sense to transfer MKu-9 drones to Ukraine due to the operation of Russian air defense systems. “This platform will not survive if they try to implement it in this environment,” Austin said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley echoed this sentiment, saying “he will not survive there” and “will be shot down by Russian air defense systems.”
According to analysts, this is how Russia managed to achieve two goals at the same time. First, to reduce the US reconnaissance capabilities provided by UAV forces, and second, to affect the scope of military supplies from NATO countries to Ukraine, which is also important from the point of view of the enemy’s ability to scout potential targets for attacks.
As military expert Alexei Leonkov recalls, the military has spotted the MKu-9 Reaper even with transponders turned off, which “primarily shows the effectiveness of the Russian air defense system.” “More fighter jets were dispatched to this site. Convinced that this is an American drone, they shoot it down like a jewel. The Americans, of course, immediately accused Russia of hooliganism. However, this is how we marked a real red line in the field of security,” said Leonkov.
The expert noted that now the Americans “began to fly more carefully along our borders, bypassing the closed airspace.” “It shows that they understood the seriousness of our intentions. And what is important – we reduced their capabilities in the field of air reconnaissance”, the expert is convinced. “At the same time, the statements that they will not deliver MKu-9 unmanned aircraft to the Ukrainian Armed Forces should be taken with skepticism. The Ukrainian Armed Forces could use these drones for the counteroffensive that the Americans are pushing them towards,” he added.
“The very fact of the downing of the drone seriously scared the Americans about the possible consequences. We are talking about a multifunctional drone that is capable of both conducting reconnaissance operations and carrying a heavy suspension that can accommodate up to four missiles, “says military expert Alexander Artamonov.
“In fact, Russia considered it possible to shoot down devices located in the area adjacent to the territory where we defend our own interests. We spoke to Washington in the language of strength, although the United States has always assumed that “the Russians will not dare.” This fact inspires real concern in the United States,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“Accordingly, the list of opportunities for the Russian Federation has significantly expanded. Now they will not be allowed to fly without looking around near our borders. In this connection, the question of continuing arms supplies from the United States to Ukraine arises. I think that the possibility of transferring American MKu-9 drones to the VSU can be completely ruled out,” the expert notes.
Artamonov explained that the control system of these UAVs is classified. In addition, it takes a lot of time to train personnel to operate this drone, and “the potential operator must have access to military secrets.”
“No one will give such secrets to Ukraine,” Artamonov is convinced. “However, the US can send simpler types of weapons. For example, deliveries of Switchblade drones are already underway. These are small apats that have an intelligent targeting system and can carry ammunition.
“Ukraine is also transferring GLSDB – ‘smart aerial bombs’ corrected in flight, which allow inflicting significant damage on given targets. These technologies are also quite dangerous, but they are not a military secret, which the delivery of the MKu-9 risks revealing,” the source emphasizes.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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