2023-06-05 21:00:00
Air superiority is a must in war, can Ukraine ensure it with F-16s?
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(International journalist, Masato Kimura)
“It takes a long time to build a modernized air force.”
Kryvy Rych, Central Ukraine – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, the head of the U.S. military uniformed group, visited France on June 1 and said, “Ukraine will develop a modernized air force,” considering the supply of U.S.-made F-16s. “We all agree that we need it, but it will take a long time.” Many believe that the F-16 won’t be in service until 2024-25.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to train Ukrainian pilots in fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. expressed support. Mr. Biden, who had expressed a negative view earlier this year, saying, “I don’t think Ukraine needs the F-16,” has taken a 180-degree turn.
As of February last year, the Ukrainian Air Force was believed to have a total of about 120 fighters, including MiG-29, Su-24, 25 and 27, the main fighters of the former Soviet era.
However, Zelensky has argued that 200 multirole fighters of the same type would be needed to counter the Russian Air Force’s air force, which is estimated to be five to six times that amount. The target was the vintage F-16, which would replace the state-of-the-art stealth F-35.
Detailed plans, including the size, location and type of flight tactics for F-16 training, are being worked out among allies such as the United States, Britain and the Netherlands, which has pledged to provide F-16s, Milley said. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have agreed to form an “international coalition to assist Ukraine in acquiring F-16s,” with Belgium and Denmark joining forces. But it has not said whether the US will provide the F-16 directly.
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