According to recent reports from the US media, military expert Zvika Haimovich published an article "What the Russo-Ukrainian War Means for Air Defense", pointing out that the Russo-Ukrainian War shocked the world, and countries, especially European countries, are busy starting from this. Summarize experiences from geopolitical earthquakes. Germany has decided to invest 100 billion euros in the defense field, including its decision to purchase Israel 's "Arrow" missile defense system. The Netherlands recently approved a new defense budget totaling 5 billion euros.
Most of the budget will go to air defense systems for the Army, Navy and Air Force. In general, NATO is working hard to build new surveillance methods and defense capabilities to respond to Russian provocations. These developments are a typical product of human nature, which is to act only when danger is near because there is no alternative. However, the West is finally waking up to new air threats and the changing nature of warfare. The war in Ukraine is not the first wake-up call for the world.
The 2020 conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region clearly demonstrated that air defense capabilities are crucial in determining the outcome of a war. Due to the proximity of Ukraine to Western Europe , the war in Ukraine has caused panic in some Western European countries, which have become accustomed to ignoring the threat posed by Russia. And they now realize that the Russian threat, which in the eyes of the West is not civilized at all, cannot stay out of it. The Russian way of fighting is not new; for decades Russian combat doctrine has been based on bombing and attrition and the destruction of opponent morale. The difference is that the Russia-Ukraine war was largely fought in the air.
Instead of armor-on-armor clashes or classic maneuvers, the Russians use ground forces to capture the other side's territory, or use artillery fire to bring the other side into submission. We also see a new warscape, including the use of drones, quadcopters, cruise missiles and the new surface-to-surface missile . These official weapons reflect a very important aspect of the Ukrainian war. With Russia launching cruise missiles into Ukrainian cities 300 kilometers away from the Russian-Ukrainian border, the concept of "frontline" no longer means anything. The city is now the main front.
State-owned assets, government facilities and strategic civilian sites have become the primary targets. Power stations, train stations, road interchanges and airports are key targets in Russia's eyes because striking them would undermine Ukraine's ability to keep functioning. Russia’s main targets are not military strongholds and armored formations, but Ukraine’s rear. Ukrainians are not ready yet. They relied on outdated and limited Russian-made air defense systems and were not ready in time to defend city centers and ensure air defense coverage at key locations such as airports. Text/PY
