CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new | Page 17

ARTSRUN HOVHANNISYAN
tio (Digital formula refers not only to ground AD but also to the
confrontation with enemy fi ghters which are more dangerous for air
superiority. The quantity is provided by not simple rules. Only few
aircraft can take off , but missiles launched from those aircraft also
become target engagement channels and thus exceed the permis-
sible amount of AD strikes. Today micro-UAVs have already been
used which already provide hundreds of targets per plane).
3. The fi rst strikes should be electronic-fi ring, 1-2 or 1-1 ratio, i.e. 1
EW aircraft falls to 1-2 strike aircraft. No matter what total EW
suppression will be provided by superior’s assets, which can also be
benefi cial for secondary means, this ratio is necessary at the begin-
ning of the strikes. The strike asset possessing its own EW can be
considered a suppressive tool, but they are few as a rule. Division
of general strike aircraft into groups and their tactical fl exibility are
greatly dependent on these requirements.
4. The preliminary strikes if not fully, but have to be predominantly of
high precision. Preferably, strikes in this phase are launched more
from aircraft and long-range UAVs.
5. As long as the enemy’s AD system is not generally destroyed, 70-
80% of combat fl ights must be conducted just for that purpose. This
is the fi rst phase of strikes. For this mission, it is urgent to constant-
ly allocate forces in the further phases of operation and not merely
through combat fl ights (Destruction is а relative concept to this issue.
It is necessary that surface-to-air missile systems (SAM) mostly be
deprived of their combat capacities and lacking organized and active
countering (even given full air superiority, approximately ten percent
of combat fl ights are conducted to complete that task. For destruction
of AD pockets, other airborne weapons are actively used, especially
tactical and operational high precision ballistic missiles).
6. The main portion of strikes in all phases must be carried out in the
direction of mobile targets, as well-trained enemy disguises the tar-
gets carefully, and just after the fi rst strikes they get them out from
cover and quickly maneuver.
These are basic, but not all conditions under which almost any level
of ground-based AD system or the unity of the AD of Air Forces built
on that basis can be neutralized. In April 7, 2017 the US Navy launched
strikes to Syrian Al-Sharyat air base which was a reassertion of the
above-mentioned pattern and criteria. US Navy launched 59 missiles to
ensure the required density, which together with other assets guarantees
overcoming of any ground-based AD system. Syrian and Russian new
generation SAM and ground-based EW stations had been located along
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