Alaska, which is located just 55 miles from Russia, is a strong fortress for the US Air Force. But Russian experts claim that even this strong fortress can be breached. The Alaskan region is spread over more than 660,000 square miles.
Washington/Moscow: Has Russia started making a strategy to strike the weakest nerve of the US Air Force? These questions are being raised because Russian defense experts have made a big disclosure on June 15. Russian experts have said that Russia has detected a weakness in US air security, which could become a big opportunity for China or Russia during a conflict with the US in the future. Alaska, which is located just 55 miles from Russia, has been a strong fortress for the US Air Force. But Russian experts claim that even this strong fortress can be breached. The Alaska region is spread over more than 660,000 square miles and it acts as a buffer zone between the US and the Arctic and Pacific Oceans with Russia. Now Russia has sent its SU-57 stealth fighter jet near Alaska. The purpose of which was to detect America's weakness and Russian experts say that the strategic weakness has been detected.
Alaska was an important center of US defense strategy during the Cold War, where key installations such as North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) radar sites and airfields designed to detect and intercept Soviet aircraft were located. The US deployed ground radars and its fighter jets in the region to prevent any potential Russian intrusion. But now serious questions are being raised about its security capability. Especially at a time when the US has canceled the acquisition of E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft. This decision reveals the confusion in America's budget priorities and defense strategy.
What is America's biggest weakness in Alaska?
Alaska still includes the US Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, where fifth generation fighter aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are deployed. But these platforms are tasked with protecting extremely harsh environments and the biggest problem is that maintaining the supply chain is very difficult in these areas. The weakness highlighted by Russian experts in the US is based on the halt in the acquisition of the E-7 Wedgetail.
E-7 Wedgetail has been built by Boeing and it is a state-of-the-art air surveillance aircraft. It has the capability to provide 360-degree coverage and track stealth aircraft. But due to the cancellation of its purchase, America is still dependent on the 1970s E-3 Sentry aircraft, whose technology is quite outdated. It is a weak link in the direction of modern warfare. At the same time, in a remote and vast area like Alaska, where ground-radar coverage is limited and the weather is extremely difficult, it becomes even more difficult for it to work 100 percent. In such a situation, the absence of E-7 aircraft highlights America's big weakness. Experts believe that due to weak AEW&C capability, America's stealth fighter jets like F-22 and F-35 may also fail to respond to enemies in time.
What is Russia's strategy regarding Alaska?
Russia has activated its strategic bomber fleet such as Tu-95 and Tu-160 as well as its Su-57 fifth generation fighter jet in the Alaska region in the last few years. The stealth, supercruise and advanced sensor capabilities of the Su-57 can thwart US air defense. In such a situation, Russian experts claim that the Su-57 can be used to protect bombers, so that they can reach close to US territory. In the event of such attacks, if the US Air Force is unable to respond in time from Alaska, then America can suffer heavy losses. That is why experts say that this is not to scare America, but the threat to the US Air Force is real.
Not only this, along with Russia, China's activity has also increased rapidly in the Arctic region. Bombers like China's Xian H-6K have the ability to carry long-range cruise missiles and in recent years China-Russia have also conducted joint military exercises. In such a situation, experts believe that if both countries come together and surround Alaska from two directions in coordination, Russia from the north and China from the west, then it will become extremely difficult for the American NORAD to respond to two fronts simultaneously. Although such a situation is hypothetical at the moment, but it is a real warning for America that the threats on its northern border are real and if it does not increase security, then it will become extremely difficult for it to deal with two threats simultaneously in a future war.
PC:NBT
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