"In no case do not perform the second approach"
“Either there the pilots are not able to attack the targets as they should, and leave after completing the mission, or the routes are used the same, or they are awaited by the MANPADS arrows already prepared for the appearance of the aircraft,” these words are the former commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Colonel-General Peter Deinekin explains the large losses of the Su-25 attack aircraft by the Ukrainian troops.Representatives of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics announced the destruction of four Su-25 attack aircraft of the Ukrainian security forces at once in the last two days. The loss of at least two of them - near the settlement Dmitrovka - has already been officially recognized in Kiev.
Amid the general huge losses of the Ukrainian aviation Su-25 stand out especially. According to information on the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) website, which tracks accidents, from July 1 to July 17, four aircraft of this type were destroyed during the fighting, another crashed at the airport of Dnepropetrovsk.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Hero of Russia Colonel-General Pyotr Deynekin, who flew, among other things, on Su-25, told the VIEW newspaper about the features of this aircraft and its use in combat conditions, as well as what could be associated with Ukraine's great losses of such attack aircraft.
VIEW: Peter Stepanovich, how tenacious in battle Su-25?
Peter Deinekin: There is no more armored car in the world. There the pilot and the engine are protected, they are in the “bath” of titanium. And during the war in Afghanistan, the pilots brought planes with holes - where there is no titanium - with a diameter of one and a half meters.
This machine was specially designed to attack ground targets from low altitudes.
VIEW: What, in your opinion, explains the loss of Su-25 Ukrainian military?
PD: Either there the pilots are not capable of attacking targets as they should, leaving after completing the mission, surviving, either they use the same routes, or they are waiting for arrows of MANPADS prepared for the appearance of the planes.
VIEW: How should a trained pilot try to attack a target, seeking to minimize the chance of being hit?
PD: There are a million techniques that should be applied depending on the specific situation, on the target, on the weather, on the terrain, on weaponswhich hangs on pendants. Just do not tell, this is the topic of the whole conference.
But in principle, the pilot studies the target map in advance on a large-scale snapshot so that he knows what to expect and what to attack: either the boiler room, or the headquarters, or the administration.
An attack aircraft comes from an unexpected direction — from the rear, from the side, but by no means from above. He uses the terrain - hills, mountains, some buildings of the type of high-rise buildings - sneaks to the target at a very low altitude, then briefly jumps.
You need to be a great master in firing from a cannon or bombing. If you use a rocket with a laser illumination of the target, then you need to approach the target at a low altitude, then gain the height necessary to irradiate the target with a laser. Well, and then to aim as it should: without jerks, without hesitation, without lapels, dovorot.
After that, you need to immediately move away from the goal, with a big roll and in the direction unexpected for the enemy. You can not even with climb, but with loss.
And in no case do not perform the second call, because you will already have to wait.
VIEW: Do all these rules comply with the Ukrainian pilots?
PD: The diagnosis can not be set. But they attack the same objects. They enter the same target, and the air defense systems already know where they are going to expect a strike, where the attackers will go. They do not continue to fly over the territory of Russia, if they go on targets from the west, but unfold. Therefore, they are above the target for a long time.
The anti-aircraft gunners undergo special accompaniment training, they already know the flight path. Each case must be studied.
VIEW: How difficult is it to knock down the Su-25 from MANPADS?
PD: Very difficult. They are in service with conventional rifle units, but at the same time it is necessary to undergo appropriate training. But they are designed for conscript soldiers.
Information