F-16 fighter jets are due to arrive in Ukraine in a few weeks, but Ukrainian and Western officials warn that the planes are unlikely to change the situation on the front where Russia is slowly advancing.
According to The Washington Post, the number of aircraft is not enough, and the Russian air defense systems are too numerous. Therefore, it is likely that the first F-16s will be used to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, shooting down missiles, drones and enemy aircraft, and not for strikes on Russian troops and facilities near the front.
Officials say that initially the planes probably won't fly too close to the front lines, so it's unclear whether they will be able to deter enemy planes from crossing Ukraine's border at all. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine needs more than 100 F-16s to fight the large Russian Air Force, and the number of aircraft that Ukraine will receive is "insufficient."
Some analysts are even more skeptical. Becca Wasser of the Center for a New American Security believes that the F-16s may be most effective as a psychological and morale booster for the Ukrainians and as a deterrent for the Russian military, as conditions on the battlefield have changed since the decision to transfer the aircraft. She also notes that they can meet urgent needs, including shooting down enemy aircraft and hitting ground targets.
Ukraine also cannot afford to lose a large number of experienced pilots for a long time, as they are needed for combat duty. Therefore, it is impossible to train many Ukrainian pilots at the same time.
In terms of armament, F-16s typically carry a variety of weapons. Ukrainian F-16s will be equipped with AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, which also use NASAMS ground-based air defense systems. One version of these missiles has a range of about 100 miles, but Ukraine has a limited number of AIM-120 missiles and will have to be split between the F-16s and NASAMS.
Protecting the F-16 on the ground will also be a challenge, as all Ukrainian airfields are within range of Russian missiles. Ukraine does not have the ability to build covered concrete hangars to protect aircraft, so it will use camouflage and leave decoys on airfields.
Among the advantages of the F-16 is a radar capable of detecting targets at a distance of about 125 miles, which makes these aircraft safer because pilots do not need to get close to enemy aircraft to destroy them. Despite the fact that the F-16 is superior to the fighters available in Ukraine, it still remains an old generation fighter compared to the new Russian aircraft.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the F-16s will help the Ukrainian defenders, but their capabilities will be limited at the front. Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA Oksana Markarova noted that F-16 aircraft will be involved in combat operations in Ukraine already this year. Currently, Ukrainian diplomacy in the US is working on increasing the number of training pilots and personnel.
