Ukrainian pilots learned Vietnamese “wild weasel” tactics from the United States

BI: The Ukrainian Air Force uses anti-aircraft defense tactics developed by the United States in Vietnam

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Business Insider drew attention to the actions of Ukrainian Air Force pilots and found similarities with the tactics of American pilots. After studying the video recordings, the publication came to the conclusion that the Ukrainians began to copy the behavior of US Air Force pilots, first noticed during the Vietnam War.

The publication says that the Ukrainians are using the “wild weasel” tactic, which involves pilots allowing themselves to be detected by air defense radars, tracking the source of the radar waves and striking at it. This tactic was originally called «Project Ferret», after the small predatory mammal that enters a prey's lair while hunting to kill it. The name was later changed to avoid confusion with the codename «Ferret». — it was used during World War II to describe radar countermeasures against bombers.

In the case of Ukraine, pilots, after detecting a radar, strike it with AGM-88 missiles (HARM), writes BI. These are air-to-air weapons. Earth» with a range of up to 150 km, the United States has been supplying Ukraine since 2022. Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly reported on the interception of HARM, in particular, on April 16 it was announced that two such missiles had been destroyed, RBC indicates.

It is expected that in the first In the middle of the summer, Ukraine will receive dozens of F-16 fighters, which Norway, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands promised to transfer, stating that Ukrainian pilots are already being trained to operate this equipment. Russia, in turn, has repeatedly criticized Western arms supplies. Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian Armed Forces would destroy F-16s if they were transferred to Kyiv.