US eyes equipping Ukrainian jets with Western missiles as fighting rages on: Report

The US defense ministry is looking into the possibility of equipping Ukrainian MiG fighter jets with advanced Western air-to-air missiles, a report says, the latest attempt by the Pentagon to boost Kiev's military capabilities against Russian forces.

In a report on Tuesday, leading news website Politico, citing two unnamed US Department of Defense officials and another individual familiar with the matter, said that the Pentagon is studying whether it is possible to mount AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM), designed to be fired by Western planes, such as F-16s, on Ukraine’s existing MiGs.

The effort of installing the missiles, with a range of just over 100k kilometers, on old platforms such as Soviet-era MiG fighter jets could be perceived as the Pentagon's solution to Ukraine's desperate need for additional firepower and air defenses as Russia prepares for major offensives this spring. 

The sources, however, told the news outlet that there are challenges ahead for the integration process due to huge differences between US and Soviet technology, stressing that the key problem is that the missiles must “talk” to the aircraft’s radar.

They further explained that for a missile to be shot by the warplane, the aircraft's radar must first find the target and then guide the projectile close to it.

“How do you mount this thing? Can you get all the electronics in the aircraft to talk to this thing that wasn’t meant to be launched?” said one of the DoD officials, pointing to the key challenge facing the integration.

Ukraine war is a US/NATO war against Russia: Writer

An American writer and political commentator said the Ukraine war is a US/NATO war against Russia.

The ex-Soviet republic has been pushing for modern fighter jets for its war against Russia, among other things, but NATO member states have so far displayed reluctance to provide Kiev with more advanced Western warplanes, such as F-16.

"Officials are concerned that Ukraine is running low on air defenses as Russia continues missile attacks and even sends decoy balloons with radar reflectors to deplete Ukrainian missiles," the sources further told Politico.

The Pentagon has already sent Kiev air-to-ground missiles, such as the AGM-88B High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, which can be installed on the MiGs and used against ground targets such as radars and air defense systems. 

Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, to "de-Nazify" the country and over the threat of the former Soviet republic joining the US-led NATO. Kiev and its allies, however, say they were baseless pretexts for imperial ambitions.

Since the onset of the war, the US and Ukraine's other allies have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems.

Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow. The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance risk prolonging the war that recently completed one year.

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