Ukraine aims high with aviation modernisation plan
Ukraine’s Soviet-era combat aircraft fleet is overdue for modernisation, as Kiev seeks to spend big on buying from Western suppliers.
The Ukrainian Air Force plans an ambitious fixed-wing aviation modernisation programme, with procurement of new Western-made platforms as well as upgrades to MiG-29s (pictured) and potential development of an indigenous fighter aircraft in the longer term.
A focus on combat aviation is a major priority for the Ukrainian MoD. Col Gen Sergei Drozdov, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, warned recently that the aircraft fleet is outdated with most platforms expected to reach the end of their service life in the next ten to 12 years.
‘Currently we are talking about both the moral and physical obsolescence of the Ukrainian
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