Ukraine finally receives F16s

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 01 Aug 2024 by Alex Teddy
On July 31 it was confirmed that Ukraine had received the fighter jets, 18 months after they were promised. They have been in service with NATO air forces for 50 years. In July 2024 Russia attacked some air bases that were thought likely to house the F16s. The number that has arrived has not been stated. F16s need runways in excellent order for the planes to avoid technical trouble. The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Norway have pledged 60 aircraft. It is rumored that as few as 4 have arrived in Ukraine so far. Ukraine and its allies have been cautious and predicting what the F16s will achieve. They are not a game changer in themselves. The F16s are to intercept Russian drones and missiles. They are also to degrade Russian air defenses to attack Russian targets on the ground. Russian air defenses are said to be robust so the F16s face serious risks.  The US and its allies have not published their rules of engagement for the F16s and the munitions that will be supplied for the F16s to use. They are capable of carrying Storm Shadow missiles which have a range of 250 km. The planes have superb radar and could locate targets from a much greater range than Ukraine's Soviet era planes can. Ukraine needs good air cover if it ever to launch a counter offensive. The lack of air cover was part of the reason the 2023 counter offensive failed. Training a pilot on an F16 takes 3 years, but this was condensed into under a year in some cases. The planes require a large maintenance crew. Some have said that the F16 is therefore unsuitable for Ukraine. Ukraine needs a lot of reinforced hangars, re-fueling systems and radar stations to support the plane.

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