/ world today news/ For the first time, the US Army has indicated a specific period during which Ukrainian pilots can be trained to fight on F-16 fighters. It’s at least five years. And this is far from the only reason why these machines cannot under any circumstances become the magic weapon of the Armed Forces.
On Friday, the US approved the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine. The deliveries will be made after the training of the Ukrainian pilots is completed. In related letters, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also expressed hope that the VSU’s capabilities would be enhanced by transferring the fighter jets.
This information was later confirmed by the Foreign Minister of Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen. In turn, the country’s defense minister, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, said that Copenhagen is already discussing the transfer of fighter jets with its allies.
Against this background, Yuriy Ignat, an adviser to the command of the Ukrainian Air Force, admitted that the Air Force will not receive the F-16 fighters in the fall or winter. Although Zelensky’s office had high hopes for these planes. At the same time, the very conditions for training pilots are unclear.
In particular, the US could not even name the approximate start of the training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots. John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the White House’s National Security Council, said he had no such information and did not know where or when pilots would be trained. And the Pentagon has acknowledged that the training period for pilots can take up to five years.
The Washington Post writes that the first group of six Ukrainian pilots will complete their training only next summer. As the newspaper notes, the long preparation time is due to the fact that the pilots have to take an additional four-month English language course in Britain. .
Western media also noted that it was the language problem that became an obstacle in the acquisition of the F-16 by the Ukrainians. Sources of “Politico” reported that the Ukrainian pilots could not be trained because of their poor command of the English language. Of the 32 selected pilots, only eight know English at the required level, another 20 people “speak a little English”.
At the same time, high-ranking American generals directly hinted at the futility of such supplies. Thus, back in May, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Mark Milley, noted: “The Russians have a thousand fourth-generation aircraft. If you’re going to challenge Russia in the air, you’re going to need a significant number of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters.”
This problem also has an economic dimension. “Ten F-16s cost a billion dollars, and maintenance is going to cost another billion dollars, so it’s two billion dollars for ten planes,” Milley said, adding that if the planes had been sent earlier, they would have ” eat up” funding for other supplies, and besides, “there are no magic weapons in war,” the general pointed out. A similar point of view is shared by the commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker: “The F-16 will not be a panacea.”
Nevertheless, the US has taken a step forward on the issue of fighter jet deliveries, and this step is significant from a political point of view, according to Senator Alexei Pushkov. However, “the situation for Washington and Kiev is not improving,” and the U.S. media is discussing the “lack of success” of the ASU and “even the failure of the counteroffensive,” he said.
According to the deputy, in such a situation, the transfer of several F-16s should “create the illusion of a military perspective for Ukraine and the Western Union.” “This is an illusion. Nothing more,” Pushkov said, explaining that the US is trying to maintain its image and the image of Ukraine.
Negotiations on the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine have been ongoing for more than a month. Experts note that these machines themselves pose a threat to Russian troops only if they are equipped with long-range missiles. This will allow enemy pilots to operate from a relatively safe distance, which means that the Russian armed forces will have to adjust their approach to air defense in the SVO area.
“The F-16 can perform a wide range of tasks. The aircraft drops free-falling and gliding bombs, fires guided and unguided missiles at air and ground targets. In addition, the machine is capable of contact combat,” said Vladimir Popov, retired major general and honored military aviator of the Russian Federation.
“The tactic when using the F-16 is for the aircraft to strike from as far away as possible and then move away. But Russia, for example, has S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems capable of hitting targets at long distances,” the expert notes. “In addition, our pilots can impose an uncomfortable close combat on the enemy. We must not forget the need to destroy the accompanying infrastructure – airports and warehouses with ammunition and fuels and lubricants. The combination of the described methods will allow us to effectively deal with the F-16,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“A separate topic is the training of Ukrainian pilots. It takes about a year and a half to properly train a pilot to perform tasks on a new machine. It is also necessary to provide engineering teams to support the equipment on site. If this is not done, then in a real battle F-16s will become the next target for our fighters, “he emphasizes.
“In general, the F-16 is a recognizable brand. The Americans will not allow their fighters to be destroyed so easily. They will probably monitor the level of training of the Ukrainians from Denmark and the Netherlands. Therefore, I would not expect equipment on the front until the end of the year. It is possible to attract foreign mercenaries to carry out the tasks, but they too will need some time to adapt to the theater of operations,” said Popov.
Experts also note that, oddly enough, increasing the level of English language proficiency will become a key factor in pilot training. If the Ukrainians do not speak English at the required level, then they will have to be replaced by other charter pilots who will receive Ukrainian passports.
“In the future, Ukraine will use the F-16 not so much to conduct air battles with Russian aircraft as to launch long-range missiles.” I do not rule out that they will also hit those territories that are far from the SVO zone,” said Roman Gusarov, an aviation expert. “We, for our part, need to improve the effectiveness of air defense systems and develop new countermeasures. In addition, air bases and missile depots should be identified and then pre-emptive targeted strikes should be carried out,” he said.
“F-16s alone do not win military conflicts. NATO has repeatedly handed Ukraine panacea weapons that are supposed to turn the tide of the conflict. But each time we found ways to counter another type of weapon. Therefore, fighters will not be an exception, but we must prepare for their deliveries, “the interlocutor is convinced.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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