According to the head of the GUR, the F-16 fighter is not an attack platform. The army needs it to strike on the ground.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, said that Ukraine needs attack aircraft. He said this in an interview with Voice of America.
The Ukrainian army now needs to intensify the supply of weapons. To change the situation in the war, there is not enough volume and pace of transmission. In addition to what partners are already transmitting, Ukraine needs attack aircraft.
“In my opinion, we need ground attack aircraft. F-16s and similar platforms are not ground attack aircraft. Ground attack aircraft, in the USA, these are, first of all, A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. It is also army aviation, combat helicopters of the AN- 64 and so on. These are air platforms designed to strike on the ground,” Budanov said.
He added that this is his subjective vision and others may see a different concept.
The A-10 attack aircraft is known for its specific sound of firing from a 30mm cannon.
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Add, A-10 Thunderbolt II is an attack aircraft that is in service with the US Army. It is known for its 30mm GAU-8A Avenger cannon and heavy armour. The first rumors about the possible transfer of the A-10 were back in July 2022. However, experts have concerns about how effective the attack aircraft will be in conditions of saturated air defense in the RF Armed Forces.
Recall that on February 21, an American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter appeared in service with the GUR.
On January 15, the media wrote that the UK could transfer AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to Ukraine.
