LONDON — Russia has lost 86 fixed-wing aircraft and 90 helicopters during the last 16 months of combat in Ukraine, but its national air force still poses a major threat, the head of the Royal Air Force said July 13.
“Some will argue that Russia is now weaker than it was before it started, and that is certainly true in the land domain. The Army has two-thirds of its tanks. But the air force remains largely intact,” Air Chief Marshal Rich Knighton told the Global Air and Space Chiefs conference here.
As Knighton spoke, a presentation showed RAF estimates of Russian and Ukrainian losses relative to both countries' aircraft inventories when the latest phase of the nine-year-old conflict began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The presentation showed that Russia had 96% of its original inventory of 2,021 fixed-wing aircraft and 90% of its 899 helicopters.
By contrast, Ukraine has lost 68 fixed-wing aircraft and 31 helicopters, leaving only 78% of its fixed-wing fleet and 48% of his rotary-wing fleet intact, according to the RAF estimates.
“For every 15 Ukrainian combat aircraft, Russia has 100,” a message on Knighton’s presentation showed.
The RAF data offers the latest estimate from an official, independent source on military aviation losses for both sides since early March.
Knighton’s presentation illustrates a wider effort among NATO members to show that the Russian military remains dangerous despite its heavy losses in manpower and materiel in Ukraine.
“And we've been thinking hard in the UK about how we deal with these threats,” Knighton said.
“What we need to communicate so that our adversaries comprehend is that we have credible capability that we're ready to fly and fight and that they will lose.”
