“Logistical Obstacles and Timeline Questions Surrounding US Delivery of F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine”

In this regard, observers asked questions about how long it would take to deliver the most used fighter around the world? And the training period for Ukrainian pilots? And who offers it? What are the main obstacles to its use?

According to military experts who spoke to “Sky News Arabia”, Ukraine faces logistical obstacles to operating these fighters, and teaching pilots to fly and land safely if it takes several months, real fighting and employing the fighter on the battlefield may take years.

When is expected to deliver the F-16 to Ukraine?

According to Western reports, Ukraine needs about 100 non-stealth F-16 fighters, in order to provide a fleet to confront the Russian “Sukhoi 30 and 35” stealth aircraft, estimated at more than 200 fighters.

According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, the provision of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine is a priority for Washington to implement in the coming months.

As for Colin Kahl, the US Undersecretary of Defense, he says that the training of pilots and maintenance crews and the purchase and delivery of airframes will take between 18 months to 24 months.

But another US official told the Washington Post that the fastest time for training and delivery of the planes is 18 months.

As for the American “ABC News” network, it stated that the procedures for collecting aircraft from allies, making them airworthy, and then delivering them with spare parts and ammunition will extend mostly until 2024.

How long does the training take?

The American network says that the training of Ukrainian pilots will take place in Europe and will take months to complete, adding that:

• Training of novices and maintenance crews for time consuming operations.
• The US Air Force said in a recently leaked report that the training period may be reduced to 4 months, but that this training will not bring the pilots closer to the level of proficiency in air combat.
• Poor chances that the Ukrainians will use these fighters this year.
• It cannot be ruled out that secret training operations were conducted for the Ukrainians, especially Washington.

For his part, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign and security policy official, said on Tuesday that the training process has already begun in several western countries, especially Poland.

He added that Kiev will receive these fighters in the near future, while training will take some time.

Notable donors:

• The Netherlands has 24 aircraft in operation and is working with allies to send aircraft, according to its Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

• Britain does not have the F-16, but it is ready to support any country in this direction.

• Germany does not have the training capacity nor the appropriate equipment to contribute, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

• Denmark owns about 30 aircraft.

• Sweden has the “JAS Gripen” fighter but does not have the “F-16”, as well as Latvia and Estonia.

• The Czech Republic could give some of its L-159 light aircraft, according to its president Peter Pavel.

Slovakia is waiting to receive these planes and relies on allies to cover its airspace

France has the Rafale and the Mirage 2000 but is open to training Ukrainians, according to its president, Emmanuel Macron.

Possible F-16 Donors?

According to the American “Responsible Statecraft” website, the problem lies in the fact that these aircraft in the West are few, just as Germany, France and Britain operate other types, but there are countries that own them, such as:

• United States: about 1000 aircraft.

• Greece: 153 aircraft, but it has historical relations with Moscow.

• Belgium: 44 fighters and 24 for the Netherlands.

• Portugal: 28 aircraft.

• Poland: 48 aircraft, which it needs for fear of Russia.

• Romania: 14 aircraft.

Where will the F-16 be stationed in Ukraine?

According to US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall:

• The West has not yet determined where the Ukrainian pilots will be trained?, according to the Russian agency “Tass”.
• Fighters will be stationed in Ukraine.

The main obstacles to its use in Ukraine

The American network “CNN” says that there are several obstacles awaiting Ukraine with the “F-16”, including:

• Logistical obstacles because their maintenance takes longer.

• The crisis of runways and safe bunkers, Ukraine needs to extend and expand the runways, a process that is likely to be discovered by Russia.

• The F-16 needs supporting systems and aircraft, because its effectiveness is linked to working within an integrated system to manage the command and control battle.

• It is not stealthy, as it is vulnerable to targeting by Russian defenses such as the “S-300” and “S-400”.

Aid goal

The F-16 is a single-engine, multi-role jet, which means it can be used in air-to-air or ground-attack missions, and has got avionics and software improvements.

US military expert Andrew McGregor considered that the F-16 would be an upgrade of Ukrainian planes from the Soviet era, but warned that they have weaknesses that Moscow could exploit.

Regarding the logistical obstacles, MacGregor adds, to Sky News Arabia:

• It needs long runways. Therefore, Ukraine needs to extend or expand the runways.
• The Russians might discover that process and then destroy it.
• Training Ukrainians on maintenance work may take months or even years.
Training pilots to fly and land does not take time, but employing fighters in a war environment and carrying out tasks efficiently may take years.

As for the Russian military expert, Sergei Leonkov, he says:

• The F-16 needs appropriate and expensive weapons to be effective against Russian fighters such as the Su-25 and MiG-31, the stealth Su-30 and Su-35 or the advanced Su-57, as well as the Su-30. .

Some Western countries, under the pretext of aid, are trying to sell their old F-16s in order to obtain new fighters from Washington.

NATO has become a direct party to the conflict, which could lead to an expansion of the war.