The entry of the F-16 into the war comes at a time when the Russian military is taking tactical advantage of Ukraine's weak position in the face of manpower shortages and challenges in equipping new brigades. Air power is vital in war. Opinion is divided on whether Ukraine's F-16s will be able to deter Russian aggression or spark a war. This is the review.
How did Ukraine get the F-16s?
Two and a half years after the end of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine is receiving US-made F-16 fighter jets. That means it's too late. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs more than 100 F-16 fighter jets to counter Russia's air power. The U.S. has not deployed its own F-16s to Ukraine. Special licenses are issued by Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. Soon she will be seen flying in the skies of Ukraine. However, President Zelenskyy said that the number of aircraft currently available is insufficient.
What is the impact of the F-16 on the war?
Ukraine is facing Russian aggression with the help of Soviet-era aircraft. The F-16 aircraft will certainly increase the military power of Ukraine. The F-16 is considered one of the world's best fighter jets. For five decades it has been the first-choice aircraft of NATO allies and many air forces around the world. They would be responsible for some of the major operations in the Russo-Ukrainian War. They will try to stop Russian missiles and drones that bomb Ukraine day and night. Some analysts believe that it will be used primarily to neutralize enemy air defense systems, attack Russian military positions and ammunition depots with air-to-ground missiles. Of course, a lot depends on what weapons the countries supplying the aircraft will send with them, whether they will let them use them freely or not. The long-range air-to-air missiles can challenge Russian bombers and fighter jets. The F-16's advanced radar system will also allow other aircraft to detect targets as far away as possible. The entry of these aircraft can have a psychological impact on the morale of Russian pilots. This will boost the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces.
What are the challenges?
The Ukrainian pilots were trained on the F-16 in a short course of just a few months. Since they are relatively low, it can affect the performance of pilots. Foreign pilots take a three-year course. Understand the complexity of the machine. F-16s require maintenance to keep them operational on the battlefield. It requires a huge amount of support manpower such as technical engineers, aircraft inductees, intelligence analysts and emergency personnel. For the F-16, Ukraine needs radar systems, hangars, spare parts, refueling systems, quality runways, etc. Ukraine has not been able to build hangars to protect aircraft during the war. Ukraine's airspace is under the control of Russian missiles.
What will Russia do?
The Russian military will try to shoot down the F-16 with long-range missiles. Already they are targeting the limited good runways of Ukraine. Ukraine had planned to keep some of its fighter jets at foreign bases to defend against Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied it. He warned that Ukrainian fighter jets would be a legitimate target for the Kremlin's forces if they were launched from a base in any Western country. The Russian military currently has 100 fighter jets and a sophisticated radar system for surveillance. Russia's Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet could be a threat to the F-16. The advanced radar system of Su-35 is capable of tracking and engaging eight targets simultaneously. However, they also have to plan the mission keeping in mind that they have to face the American-made F-16, which is more powerful than the aircraft that have been in the war so far.
