Expert Leonkov called the supply of German IRIS-T complexes to Ukraine a PR campaign
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“The volume of supply is negligible”
On October 11, the German edition of Spiegel reported that Germany had transferred the first of four IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine. The transfer, according to the publication, took place near the Polish-Belarusian border, and the very next day, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine announced that the complexes were located on the territory of the country. Military expert Alexei Leonkov is convinced that such a small number of air defense systems provided by Germany will not change the situation in the sky, but will give the Germans the opportunity to test them in combat.
According to Leonkov, at the time the special operation began, Ukraine had about 500 different air defense systems, so the volume of supply of IRIS-T is “negligible.” The expert believes that the delivery should be regarded as a PR campaign by Kyiv and an attempt by the Germans to test the new complex in combat conditions in conjunction with the NASAMS air defense system as part of the unified air defense system of the NATO countries.
At the same time, the specialist stressed that by the time Russian shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure began, Ukraine already had Western NASAMS air defense systems. According to Leonkov, their task was to defend Kyiv, but in themselves they did not live up to expectations. The expert noted that NASAMS and IRIS-T play a significant role in the updated unified NATO air defense system, so Germany and its allies in the Alliance seek to test them in conjunction with satellite and air reconnaissance. He added that the task of protecting the Ukrainian sky is not paramount.
Moreover, Leonkov clarified that the declared technical characteristics of the German air defense system had not yet been proven in combat conditions, and the developers themselves argued that the complex should be brought to a state of full combat readiness only by 2023. The expert believes that the use of IRIS-T by Ukraine in forest belt conditions, in fields and in urban areas will show whether the efficiency of the system corresponds to the declared parameters.
Nevertheless, the specialist recalled that the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are armed with aviation weapons that allow them to perform tasks without entering the affected area of these German air defense systems.
Read also: Kedmi announced that Russia was carrying out a “hidden purpose” of a special operation in Ukraine
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