As of: March 2, 2024, 9:09 p.m
By: Tadhg Nagel
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Press
Split
Ukraine will receive more than 60 new combat aircraft.
Their suitability for use in war could be mixed.
Or is Kiev already using them?
KIEV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that the country will receive support from F-16 fighter jets from Western allies later this year.
However, the model is considered to be maintenance-intensive;
Ukraine must prepare well for the new aircraft in the Ukrainian war.
They could also be an easy target for Russia on the ground.
Will the F-16 deliver what it promises in Ukraine?
© IMAGO/xArjanLx
Zelenskyj and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signed a bilateral agreement on security policy cooperation between the two countries on Friday in Kharkiv.
The Ukrainian leader also announced new military aid from the Netherlands, including F-16 jets.
“Today we have a new package of military support for our warriors from the Netherlands.
By the way, the Netherlands is actively helping us with air defense, with the F-16 coalition.
This year there will be new fighter jets in our skies, and we must make this an effective year to defend ourselves against Russian guided bombs, Russian aircraft and their missiles,” Zelenskyy told
Ukrainska Pravada
newspaper .
More than 60 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon - Western alliance supports Ukraine in the war
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said in February that Denmark was working “at full capacity” to deliver the first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this summer.
In total, more than 60 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft will be offered to the country.
Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium want to provide these - a multinational coalition is currently training pilots and crews.
The jets are a response to Kiev's pleas to even the odds against the Russian air force in the skies over Ukraine.
However, getting the fighter jets into the air could be extremely difficult, as the US news portal
Politico
writes.
The bases in particular would certainly be a preferred target for Russian attacks.
In addition, the aircraft are easily detected by Russian air defense systems.
Repairing them will also be a challenge, and even using unprepared runways could sabotage the delicate aircraft.
F-16 is “a sensitive animal” - airfields must be converted before deployment against Russia
A former U.S. Navy F-16 pilot, Tom Richter, highlighted in the report that the fighter jets are "a delicate animal" compared to the Soviet-era MiG and Sukhoi jets that Ukraine has to date. be.
You can “feel from the outside how high-tech the F-16 is.”
In addition, the aircraft is “a prima donna” that is very sensitive and requires “a lot of maintenance.”
Richter also expressed concern about the runways.
The Soviet planes were “rougher and rougher” and could fly from poorly maintained airfields.
In addition, the maintenance effort is lower.
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Since Ukraine has difficulty building modern airports during the war, the old ones have to be adapted.
“Runways need to be prepared because the landing gear of the MiGs is more sensitive, the wheels are small, the air intakes are low, and there is a risk of swallowing objects,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told
Politico
.
A win for the Ukrainian Air Force - Is the country already using the aircraft?
Still, according to Ihat, the F-16 will be an asset to the Ukrainian Air Force.
“A pilot will be able to control missiles from the air and determine the target.
He can obtain real information in a combat environment and make appropriate decisions about shooting targets.
It will also be possible to use air-to-air missiles.
These can fly up to 180 kilometers,” said the spokesman.
Ukraine may have already received individual F-16 aircraft, which it is now using in secret.
Ukraine recently reported shooting down a record number of Russian fighter jets.
The Austrian historian Markus Reisner suspects the use of the new aircraft was behind this, as he said in an interview with
n-tv
.
We know “from the past that weapon systems have repeatedly been used before the actual announcement,” said Reisner.
So far, however, in the case of the F-16 fighter jets, this has been “pure speculation and there is no visible evidence of this.”
(tpn)