Are Poland’s MiG 29s Critical for Ukraine’s Defense Against Russia?

Video Above: MiG 29s

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

The former US Air Commander of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan is truly “puzzled” by Russia’s inability to establish air superiority and hopes that the much discussed Polish MIG 29s will quickly get to Ukraine.

Polish MiG 29s

“Their (Russia) failure to achieve air superiority is really puzzling. Control of the air is a prerequisite to both freedom to attack and to be free from attack. This is why the transfer of the 28 Polish MiG 29 into Ukraine is so important and it should have happened already, quite frankly, without all the fanfare going on in the media. 

It should have been done quietly, with Ukrainian pilots taking the train to Poland, flying the Jets back to Ukraine and getting them into the fight,” retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and former Afghan Air War Commander, told The National Interest in an interview.

The Pentagon has denied a Polish request to hand their MiG 29s over to the United States to send to Ukraine, citing major concerns about potential escalation and worry that it would spark World War III. “The Ukrainians need them for the sustainment of their Air Force, because when you use fighter aircraft in combat and fly them often and hard, they tend to break. So the additional MiG 29 would help sustain Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression,” Deptula said.

Deptula is of the view that the Polish planes could make a huge difference when it comes to current Ukrainian efforts to challenge Russia in the air and deny the invading force an opportunity to achieve air superiority. If done quietly, Deptula explained the jets could have their intended effect without generating broader Russia-US conflict.