A montage documenting the destruction of five Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile vehicles, location Zaporizhia. The Buk vehicles are observed, and rounds are adjusted by the Shark UAV, with fires delivered by a precision platform such as HIMARS or 155mm Excalibur. The Buk vehicles are a family of self-propelled, medium range surface to air missile systems, with the ability to engage fixed and rotary wing aircraft as well as drones and missiles, and plays a significant role in neutralizing Ukraine’s limited air capability and their deep-strike munitions, such as Stormshadow. The Shark is the smallest man-portable fixed-wing UAV in service in Ukraine. Carried in two backpacks, it can be hand-launched by a single person and then patrol up to thirty kilometers from the base station, providing video from its gimbaled camera.

The systematic neutralization of Russian anti-aircraft and artillery systems creates conditions favorable to obtaining immediate tactical objectives and deeper operational objectives. Ukraine continues to conduct air operations with a limited number of fixed and rotary-wing airframes, and the destruction of short and intermediate-range air defense systems will increase the survivability of those platforms and make their operations in support of the current offensive more effective. Operational and strategic objectives include the liberation of Crimea, but Russian air defense systems have limited the effectiveness of shaping fires from drones and Stormshadow cruise missiles. The systematic destruction of Russian air defenses bring Ukrainian forces closer to Crimea.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.