As of: April 4, 2024, 10:33 p.m
By: Bettina Menzel
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F-16 fighter jets are finally scheduled to arrive in Ukraine in the coming months. Russia has long been prepared for this – are the planes coming too late?
Kiev - Ukraine's air defense is full of holes, but support is apparently in sight: Denmark wants to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine before the summer. The planes were originally supposed to be in Ukraine at the turn of the year. Russia had a long time to prepare for the arrival of the F-16. Too long, say the ranks of the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian military officials criticize Western delivery delays: “Every weapon has its right time”
First things first: In May last year, Great Britain and the Netherlands announced the formation of an “international coalition”. Their task: to equip Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. In addition to the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Norway also promised to deliver the fighter jets to Ukraine. The turning point came at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May last year, when US President Joe Biden also gave his go. Since the US manufactures the jets, they had to agree to supply them. But around a year later, the planes are still a long time coming.
Denmark wants to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine before the summer (symbolic image). © IMAGO/IPA/ABACAPRESS
The conditions for the use of the F-16 have not yet been met, it was said in January about the delivery delay from the Danish Ministry of Defense. This involves, for example, the training of Ukrainian pilots. In order to use the machine, mechanics and other ground personnel must also be trained. Apparently things are now moving: a dozen F-16s are expected to be ready for operation in Ukraine this summer after the pilots complete their basic training.
From the point of view of the Ukrainian military, it is far too late: “Every weapon has its right time. The F-16s were needed in 2023, they will not fit in 2024,” said unnamed military sources in a conversation with the US magazine
Politico
published on Wednesday (April 3) . The planes are an example of the often late deliveries from the West. “We often don’t get the weapon systems when we need them, but only when they are no longer relevant,” is the criticism.
Russia prepares for Ukrainian deployment of F-16 fighter jets: “Can carry nuclear weapons”
According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia is already preparing for Ukraine to soon deploy the first US-made F-16 fighter jets. The Kremlin chief doesn't expect the fighter jets to bring about a change: "We will destroy their aircraft just as we are now destroying their tanks, armored vehicles and other technology such as multiple rocket launchers." Although Ukraine has no nuclear weapons - Kiev handed them over to Russia in 1994 – Putin emphasized the potential capability of the F-16 to carry nuclear weapons. Russia will prepare for this in its military planning, the Kremlin chief said last week.
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The fact that the West took so long to deliver gave Russia the opportunity to optimize its air defense network, Ukrainian military circles said in an interview with
Politico
. Accordingly, Russia has already calculated where the S-400 missile and radar system should best be stationed in order to keep the F-16 away from Russia's front lines and logistical centers as effectively as possible. However, if Western deliveries arrived on time, Ukraine could significantly weaken the Russian armed forces, the generals continued.
Other challenges with the F-16: material, weather conditions and airfields
The F-16 delivery schedule also depends on factors such as material and weather conditions, the Danish Ministry of Defense recently said. According to experts, ammunition, spare parts and physical conditions at the airfields also play a role. Background: Unlike the Mig-29 fighter aircraft, the F-16 does not have a cover that prevents small parts such as stones from being sucked in. While the Mig-29 in Ukraine can also land on conventional, larger roads, the F-16 requires long and clean runways. At the same time, the Ukrainians must station the aircraft in such a way that the Russian army cannot, if possible, reveal their position.
But even if the F-16 finally arrives in Ukraine soon: military experts repeatedly emphasize that there are no silver bullets in war. Rather, the decisive factor is the combat of combined weapons, i.e. the combination and joint use of different types of weapons. Kiev's troops are currently under pressure and ammunition is running low. According to the Ukrainian military, four million rounds of artillery ammunition and two million drones would be needed. There is also a lack of personnel and sufficient air defense. How long Ukraine can continue its defensive struggle depends crucially on US military support.