Shooting down of A-50 and Il-22: an aviation expert “smashed” the Russian version
Date: 2024-01-17 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Aviation expert, leading researcher at NAU Valery Romanenko considers the version of Russian propaganda that the downing of A-50 and Il-22 aircraft over the Sea of Azov was nonsense as a result of an error by the Russian operator of air defense systems.
On the air of a national telethon, he noted that the Russian version of the downing of the planes does not pass the test of common sense, and therefore has no probability. “I don’t understand at all why put forward such a version. This then emphasizes the danger not only in this area for Russian aircraft from their own air defense, but also along the entire front. This means, wherever they fly, they can receive a missile from their own anti-aircraft gunners everywhere “This is complete nonsense,” Romanenko emphasized.
He added that the A-50 long-range radar warning aircraft has the functions of a reconnaissance aircraft and a command post, it can track the movements of ground troops and the launches of anti-aircraft missiles. “This is an extremely important machine for the effective operation of aviation and air defense, because it monitors all our missile launches against Russian troops,” Romanenko emphasized.
In turn, the Il-22 is a purely command post, which has many radio stations for communication, but mainly deals with ground troops. According to an aviation expert, the Russian A-50 aircraft could have been hit with the Patriot air defense system.
“If you build a logical chain, then our fighters are not enough, because the missiles are not so long-range. American F-16s are excluded from the very beginning. Anti-aircraft missile systems remain. But the old Soviet ones are hardly capable of operating at such a distance; the SAMP/T complex has the declared range is 100 km. And this is too short. So, what remains is the Patriot or the old Soviet S-200 complex, but it has a very huge missile and a guidance station, which is difficult to place unnoticed somewhere near the front line," Romanenko emphasized.
He also explained how the downed Russian Il-22 managed to fly and land in Anapa, because in the photo everyone saw the cut tail of the plane.
“In general, the tail of the plane was completely riddled with holes, but such important elements as engines and steering servos were not damaged. Therefore, it was able to land; not everything can be destroyed. But the plane itself will be 99% written off, because the machine is old, mass production ceased at the end of the 70s of the last century. In fact, no spare parts or elements for these aircraft were preserved, and in order to repair it, it is necessary to restore the entire tail section. It is easier to remove from it what still survived and rearrange it on some other aircraft of this type. They have up to half a dozen more such aircraft in reserve, which are simply standing in the yard of the storage base," Romanenko said.
