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The importance of F-16 war planes for Ukraine
The Ukrainian government had been asking them for some time to western countries: according to the New York Times since July could begin to be used in the war against Russia, with relevant consequences
Di Davide maria av Luca
This week the New York Times he wrote that starting from July the aviation of Ukraine could begin to use the F-16 hunting in the war against Russia provided by the countries Westerners. The news, considered rather reliable, was a lot Waiting: the Ukrainian government asks war planes practically from the beginning of the Russian invasion, and between the various Western countries the Possibility to deliver to Ukraine the F-16s was a source of Grosso debate.
In the end, in the middle of last year, the United States (which produce the F-16s) they had agreed to their sending to Ukraine, but it was said that before Ukraine it could really use them on the battlefield would have had to pass months: both to allow the physical delivery of the planes Ukrainian aviation and to train the pilots to the use of the new ones means. The news of the New York Times It is that the first planes should be operational in July.
The their use could have some consequences on the war, even if Much will depend on the number of ready -made means and the way they will be used.
The F-16s
Designed in the seventies, produced in the eighties e
Since then constantly updated, the F-16s
The F-16 are superior from every point of view to the most advanced plane currently available to the Ukrainian aviation, the Mig-29 of Soviet manufacture. Designed in the same era, the aircraft Ukrainians do not have the numerous updates received from the F-16 and now They are vulnerable to the most modern Soviet hunts, the Su-35s that are used by Russia. In a' interview given to BBC Last May, Ukrainian pilots said that Russian planes I am able to spot their planes and launch against them missiles even before being identified in turn. In these circumstances, Ukrainian pilots must be warned by voice by Radar controllers on the ground of the threat and have no other choice if not to abandon the mission.
Beyond To the most modern sensors, the F-16s also have the advantage of power use all the armaments of the NATO aviation, more efficient and more easy to find compared to those currently used from Ukrainian aviation, which are largely residues of the time Soviet.
And limiti
The F-16s also have some limitations that will reduce it
The impact on war. The former relate to their characteristics
techniques. As
he remembered
a recent analysis of the Council on Foreign Relations Study Center: «I
Ukrainian commanders who will plan the operations with the F-16s
they will have to worry about the dangers represented by debris on the slopes
take -off. Since the F-16s have only one engine-unlike the
two of the MIG-29 and SU-27-are particularly vulnerable to damage
caused by final take -off or dirty takeover. The F-16s are not
designed to operate by damaged or improvised slopes ».
These considerations are particularly important, given that a part considerable of the Ukrainian aviation operates precisely by improvised bases To escape the Russian bombings. The aerial bases that will be used by the F-16s will in all probability will easily identifiable by Russian intelligence and will need to be Thoroughly defenses.
The other Large limit of the F-16s is made up of their number. Initially Ukraine will receive 6 hunting, training for twelve pilots and About fifty maintenance technicians on the ground. Denmark, Norway, Belgium and Netherlands promised the delivery of another 33 planes and it is estimated that the allies have committed themselves to providing A total of 60 aircraft. It is not clear, however, when it will end the training of the related pilots and the rest of the earth staff. It will probably take years.
I am insufficient numbers to have a significant impact on the current trend of aerial war. Before invasion, Ukrainian aviation he had about a hundred combat planes and At the moment it is probably able to make a number not too much lower (part of the losses suffered was replaced by hunting Soviet manufacture donated by Poland and other countries).
Other singing, Russia on paper can deploy over a thousand planes from combat and, realistically, it uses different Ukraine hundreds. This situation, combined with the effectiveness of the anti -aircraft defenses Russian, makes it complicated for a few tens of planes to have an effect radical on current fights.
So what are they for?
Although they will hardly be able to determine the trend of war by themselves, the aviation experts
they indicated
Some important functions that the F-16s will be able to perform. One of
main is their ability to contribute to the interception of
missiles that Russia uses to hit Ukrainian cities, providing a
precious help to Ukrainian aerial defenses, increasingly short of
missiles.
Thank you To their modern sensors, the F-16s can "hook" (as they say in jargon) Russian cruise missiles and hit them with their missiles air-air (i.e. missiles launched by a plane to hit a goal in flight). It is an efficient and above all economic method for Defend Ukrainian aerial space.
THE Earth-air missiles (i.e. those launched from the ground to hit a goal in flight) are much more complicated and expensive, since for hit their target need to reach great speeds and travel wide distances. Air-air missiles, on the other hand, come launched by planes able to approach their targets considerably e Which, at the time of launch, are already traveling at high speed.
THE NATO countries have large reserves of air-air missiles that can be used by the F-16, while their missile stocks earth-air are increasingly reduced.