As we already know, President Biden travelled to Kyiv from the Polish border by train.
Just as a mere theoretical hypothesis, let's assume that the Secret Service/White House decided that it would be safer to fly (faster, of course) and that the Ukrainian Government authorized the use of their airspace without limitations to the USAF (and USMC, CIA....) during the visit.
Question: How do you think the operation could have been organized? I mean: Osprey, C-130....as Air Force One and a lot of F-35, F-15.... and Apaches, AC-130.... scouting above and below?
Just out of curiosity.
Regards,
Slava Ukraini
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Biden in Kyiv
Last edited by SQ22 on Wed Feb 22, 2023 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: All caps
Reason: All caps
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- aumaverick
- Posts: 359
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Re: BIDEN IN KYIV
Hypothetically speaking, it would probably be like past instances where a president has visited a war zone, and the VC-25B would be utilized. USAF assets would be in the air, or nearby, to provide air cover with extremely close cooperation with the Ukrainian air force. On the ground at the airport and how things are handled, that is an entirely different conversation.
https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/27/sprj.irq.bush.tic.toc/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/27/sprj.irq.bush.tic.toc/index.html
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: BIDEN IN KYIV
Based on Clinton flights into Former Yugoslavia, AF1 would be a configured C-17. Used numerous times, back then. At the Balcony Brief, the 3* would just say, “tell Charleston to get ready to go” when there was a hint of a request. A VIP pallet. High ingress, tactical arrival, exported by fighters which is probably why they didn’t do it.
We essentially controlled everything around Baghdad, we didn’t in Yugoslavia nor would we in Kyiv.
We essentially controlled everything around Baghdad, we didn’t in Yugoslavia nor would we in Kyiv.
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- prebennorholm
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Re: Biden in Kyiv
My uneducated guess: (b/c I quit the air force more than fifty years ago).
Due to the nature of the Putin War it would hardly be possible to protect Biden's plane anywhere near 100% against friendly (Ukrainian) fire. Accidentally fired manpads or whatever.
Due to the nature of the Putin War it would hardly be possible to protect Biden's plane anywhere near 100% against friendly (Ukrainian) fire. Accidentally fired manpads or whatever.
Re: Biden in Kyiv
Flying US Air Force escort fighters over a war zone that is replete with Russian aircraft and anti-aircraft assets would have been unbelievably risky. One trigger-happy Russian pilot or soldier with a SAM or an S-400 battery that didn't have good communication with Moscow could have shot down a US plane, risked the President's life, drawn the US into direct conflict with Russia and triggered WWIII. Glad they didn't do it.
Re: Biden in Kyiv
Yeah and even Ukrainian AA assets might not be completely under central control, with communication issues etc.
Re: BIDEN IN KYIV
GalaxyFlyer wrote:Based on Clinton flights into Former Yugoslavia, AF1 would be a configured C-17. Used numerous times, back then. At the Balcony Brief, the 3* would just say, “tell Charleston to get ready to go” when there was a hint of a request. A VIP pallet. High ingress, tactical arrival, exported by fighters which is probably why they didn’t do it.
We essentially controlled everything around Baghdad, we didn’t in Yugoslavia nor would we in Kyiv.
Concur. No way a hi-viz blue and white VC-25 or C-40 would be used.