Ukraine's receipt of its first F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies is a significant development in the context of the war with Russia. However, analysts warn that these aircraft should not be relied upon too much. And while the F-16s are high-tech weapons, they are unlikely to be able to instantly change the course of the conflict.
Ukraine has finally received its first F-16 fighters from its Western allies, but it will have to overcome many difficulties to deprive Russia of air supremacy, RTS writes. Experts believe that an instant effect should not be expected: according to Hunter Stoll, a security analyst at the RAND Corporation consulting firm, Moscow has had time to prepare its own air defense systems along the entire front line.
So far, Kyiv has received only six F-16s, with 20 to arrive by the end of the year. The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have announced the delivery of 79 fighters, but the timing varies. Brussels is waiting for the F-35 to replace it and promises to return the outdated models “between 2024 and 2028.” The Ukrainian army is indignant that these fighters are only “slightly better than the MiG-29”, “the armament of the new generation Russian aircraft is twice as superior”, and therefore “the F-16s will not change the course of the war”.
In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lack trained pilots to fly American fighters. This year, only 20 are ready to fly F-16s, but they are usually flown by two people, so Kyiv can only count on 10 aircraft for now. There is also a shortage of ground personnel to maintain the fighters, and Russian aircraft and drones can destroy them at the airfield or damage the runway, to which the F-16 has increased requirements.
