“There are other aircraft more capable than the F-16, but they are fewer in number and are not available to transfer,” Hopkins added. “There is a surplus of F-16s in Western nations, offering immediate availability and a well-established logistics trail,” said Robert Hopkins, a military aviation author and former US Air Force pilot. Ukraine has said it needs about 200 F-16s, so the numbers would work out. Russia warns West of 'enormous risks' if Ukraine is supplied with F-16 jetsį-16s for Ukraine are expected to be older versions that have been in the fleets of US allies, especially those in Western Europe.Īnalysts say the F-16s Ukraine would receive are not the oldest ones out there, but aircraft that have undergone what are called “mid-life upgrades,” meaning they’ve gotten improvements to avionics and software. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) arrive to attend the NATO-Russia Council at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on January 12, 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about the F-16. It’s not,” said the pilot, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the subject. “To your question about the F-16 being a difference maker. In fact, one active duty F-16 pilot told CNN that expectations may be way too high.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Biden’s decision, saying in a tweet, “this will greatly enhance our army in the sky.”īut analysts cautioned that the jets aren’t a cure-all and have vulnerabilities that Moscow would be well aware of and could exploit. The F-16s would be an upgrade to the largely Soviet-era aircraft currently in Ukraine’s fleet. Ukraine’s quest for US-made F-16 fighter jets received a big boost over the weekend when US President Joe Biden gave his backing for Kyiv’s pilots to be trained to fly them.īiden’s comments at a summit with G7 leaders in Japan came days after Britain and the Netherlands said they were building an “international coalition” to help Ukraine procure F-16s as it seeks to improve its defenses against Russian air attacks.
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