He said this during the telethon, adding that the latest modern aircraft could help destroy enemy artillery.
“They (artillery systems - ed.) must be destroyed preventively. There is a counter-artillery fight. It is necessary to detect and destroy long-range weapons that can reach there. The same HIMARS and aviation. If we had powerful aviation with the same means of destruction that modern Western aircraft have, it would be much easier to do. That is why so much attention today is paid to the process of providing Ukraine with modern Western aircraft,” Ihnat said.
The spokesman also explained that HARM missiles are currently being installed on MiG-29 fighters to combat enemy air defense, but these aircraft cannot provide all the necessary functionality.
“These missiles are mounted on Soviet fighters, but they do not have all the functionality they would have if they were launched from F-16s. Then HARMs would work more efficiently, further and more accurately and would destroy more enemy air defenses,” Ihnat said.
He emphasized that installing Western missiles on Soviet aircraft is difficult and expensive. According to Ihnat, MiGs are currently adapting their communication system to NATO standards, improving GPS navigation and the friend-or-foe recognition system, but this is not enough.
“We would have to replace half of the aircraft and install onboard radar systems to adapt our MiG-29s to Western weapons. Then we would be able to install cruise missiles, guided aerial bombs, and even missiles like Harpoon. It is possible to do all this for a Soviet airplane, but it is not profitable,” the spokesman explained.
Ukraine has submitted a request to Finland to discuss the possibility of transferring F/A-18 Hornet fighters.