Fighter jets and the risk How important are F-16 jets for Kiev in the war against Russia?
Ukraine has announced the loss of one of its F-16 fighter jets. The aircraft are intended in particular to strengthen air defense and could help in engaging targets at greater distances, especially if they are equipped with weapons designed for the aircraft.
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- The F-16 fighter aircraft is one of the most powerful military jets in the world.
- This aircraft can do a lot, but few people trust it to make the decision in the Ukraine war.
- The first missions in the war against Russia have already taken place.
- One of the few F-16 fighter jets delivered to Ukraine to date has already crashed.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have pledged more than 60 aircraft to Ukraine. However, the delivery is likely to take months. So far, Ukraine is said to have at least six F-16s.
Four questions and answers:
- How can the F-16s be helpful to Ukraine in the war?
Federico Borsari from the Center for European Policy Analysis (Cepa) in Washington names three core tasks: The F-16s would attempt to intercept Russian missiles and drones, which are used to bomb Ukraine incessantly. They are to disable enemy air defense systems and fire on Russian troop positions and ammunition depots with air-to-ground missiles. "They will be able to influence some of the dynamics (of the war)," says Borsari.
Much of the information about the use of the F-16s is classified. This includes the question of which targets Western governments have given Ukraine clearance to fight and which weapons Western states will supply for use with F-16s.
The F-16s could carry Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied by the UK with a range of more than 250 kilometers, which could hit targets in Russia. They can also be armed with long-range air-to-air missiles that would threaten Russian bombers and fighters. The aircraft's advanced radar systems will allow Ukrainian pilots to detect targets further away than is possible with their MiG-29, Su-27 and Su-24 aircraft.
Air superiority is also important for the ground war because the aircraft provide air cover for the troops. However, this could be dangerous for Ukraine, as Russia has good air defenses. At the very least, the fighter jets could have a psychological effect on the Russian pilots and boost the morale of the Ukrainian troops.
- What are the problems for Ukraine with the F-16s?
Marina Miron from the Department of Defense Studies at King's College London lists a long list of challenges that the F-16s would pose for Ukraine. The approximately nine-month training course for Ukrainian pilots in the USA and Europe was like a crash course. Western pilots are usually trained on the "very complex machine", as Miron calls it, for three years. The Ukrainians' short training limits their performance with the F-16.
Numerous support staff are also required to operate the fighter aircraft, such as maintenance engineers, ammunition loaders, intelligence analysts and emergency crews. In addition, Ukraine needs to establish a network of radar stations, reinforced hangars, spare parts depots and refueling facilities.
High-quality airfields are also a must. The F-16's air intake is located close to the tarmac, which brings with it the risk of it sucking debris and dirt into the engine.
"So there are a lot of related issues that need to be resolved," says Miron. Ukrainian pilots, who have no combat experience with the F-16, may also have a certain reluctance to engage in aerial combat.
- How did Russia react?
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia has already offered a reward for soldiers who shoot down F-16 aircraft. This would have great propaganda value for Russia. Its air defense system is equipped with the powerful S-300 and S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile systems, which can shoot down several aircraft at once. The Russian military can also deploy an estimated several hundred operational fighter jets and sophisticated air surveillance radar systems.
One of the biggest threats to the F-16 is the Russian Su-35 fighter jet, says Borsari from Cepa. It has a long-range radar with which it can track and engage up to eight targets simultaneously over a wide area.
The Russian forces could also try to destroy the F-16s on the ground with long-range missiles. They have already targeted the limited number of suitable airfields in Ukraine.
Analysts advised the Ukrainians to park the F-16s in reinforced hangars, spread them across different locations, deploy decoy aircraft and be ready to take off quickly in the event of an air attack warning.
- How could Ukraine protect the F-16s?
Ukrainian aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchynsky says Ukraine has a robust defense to protect the fighter jets from Russian attacks. "Throughout the period since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been making spirited attempts to attack Ukrainian airfields, but they have not been very successful," he says.
The F-16 will significantly improve the Ukrainian Air Force's ability to protect airspace from Russian attacks and increase the range for Ukrainian attacks on targets in Russia. "With the acquisition of F-16 aircraft, we will be able to solve a number of problems that Ukraine is currently facing," says Khrapchynskyi. "These include: Russia's massive missile attacks, its use of glide bombs and the deployment of S-300 installations in the border regions of Sumy and Kharkiv."
dpa
