[ad_1]
What the F-16 brings to Ukraine
After a long wait, Ukrainians are receiving Western fighter jets that are scheduled to enter service this summer. The answer to the most important question.
Ukraine will soon receive such fighter jets: F-16 fighter jets provided by the Romanian Air Force during exercises over the Black Sea.
Photo: Keystone/AP
After about a year’s delay, NATO allies have begun delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. “As we speak here, the relocation of the F-16s is underway,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington on Wednesday. The jets will “be flying over Ukraine this summer.” The Kiev government has long asked for Western fighter jets many times. Above all, she called for the delivery of F-16 jets. What are these aircraft useful for Ukraine’s defense against Russia? What can’t they do? Various questions arise about the fighter pilots.
Can the F-16 aircraft fundamentally change the situation in Ukraine?
No. They are not a panacea. Nor can they ensure Ukraine’s air sovereignty or the ability to fly over Russian-occupied areas. Military experts believe that Russia’s ground defenses are too effective. Still, the F-16s will bring huge military benefits to Ukraine. According to NATO allies, they will help Ukraine defend itself more effectively against Russian attacks. (Read about the NATO summit “Moscow is within reach – the US is once again deploying cruise missiles in Europe”.
How successful can this be?
As an agile multi-role fighter, the F-16 – especially in combination with the modern radar of the Patriot air defense system – can significantly improve the defense against missile and fighter attacks. They are also able to destroy ground targets at long range using certain cruise missiles. With fighter jets, Kiev is increasing the chances of attacking the Crimean Bridge, an important supply route to the peninsula annexed by Russia. (Also read an article on the subject “Kiev’s new strategy poses problems for Putin”.
Which NATO countries will provide F-16s to Ukraine?
Denmark and the Netherlands start the match. The delivery of the US-made fighter jets requires permission from Washington, which US President Joe Biden received at the G7 summit in May 2023. The process of handing over the aircraft to Ukraine is underway. Belgium and Norway are also expected to provide Ukraine with F-16 aircraft later. Vladimir Zelensky thanked Platform X for strengthening the Ukrainian Air Force. According to media reports, Denmark and the Netherlands are expected to take delivery of about 20 and about 40 aircraft, respectively. Norway has pledged to deliver six F-16s this year. It has not yet been revealed how many fighters Kiev will receive in total in the coming months. However, it is obvious that Ukraine will receive far fewer machines than it needs.
Here you will find additional external content. If you agree with the setting of cookies and the transmission of personal data to external providers, you can allow all cookies and directly display the external content.
How many fighter jets does Ukraine need?
Volodimir Zelenskiy is in NATO summit held in Washington A large number of Western fighters are required. His country needs at least 128 fighters. Russia could use 300 aircraft per day to attack Ukraine. Ukraine has relatively few Soviet-designed machines. In terms of air power, the Ukrainians are clearly inferior to the Russians.
What challenges do Ukrainians face in operating F-16 aircraft?
Experts say that maintaining the fighters and installing spare parts is the biggest challenge. In addition, the training of F-16 maintainers takes longer than that of F-16 pilots. The training of Ukrainian pilots and ground crew has been going on since last summer. Several countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland and the Netherlands, have agreed to take over the training of the Ukrainians. Another challenge in deploying F-16 aircraft is finding suitable runways in Ukraine.
What does the delivery of the F-16 mean from a political and psychological perspective?
Ukrainian Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk recently told The Economist that this was a “significant psychological boost”. The impact on war could be huge Yes. Last but not least, the delivery of the F-16s sends a message to Russia from the West that support for Ukraine – however hesitantly and slowly – continues.
Morning
News and stories from Switzerland and around the world are the perfect start to the day.
Found a bug?Report now.
[ad_2]
Source link
