Sky News: F-16 fighters will disappoint Ukraine due to vulnerability to Russian aviationF-16 fighters may disappoint Ukraine, the author of the article for Sky News believes.
It is unlikely that the West will supply it with the latest aircraft, and older machines do not have important modern equipment, and they do not pose a threat to Russian forces.
F-16 en route to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit approved the transfer of F-16 fighters to Kiev. This step will certainly provide Ukraine with much-needed fire support from the air. But do not forget that the degree of effectiveness of combat aviation largely depends on modern technologies, and some modifications of the F-16 are already outdated.
When the "Fighting Falcon" F-16 (Fighting Falcon F-16) first took to the air in the late 70s, it was a very light, maneuverable and functional aircraft. Due to its characteristics, it has become the most massive export fighter in the world.
Despite the airframe's design features, which give it maneuverability, and the impressive thrust-to-weight ratio of the aircraft, the combat capabilities of the F-16 and all modern fighters largely depend on avionics.
The most important component of a fighter's combat capability is radar. As technology allows radars to "see" further and more clearly, methods of misleading the enemy are also being improved.
The motto of fighter pilots is: "The one who sees wins." The sooner you see the enemy's plane, the sooner you will be able to launch a missile.
During World War II, thin strips of aluminum were used to deceive enemy radars. Today, modern stealth technologies and a number of sophisticated electronic means are used to increase invulnerability.
Old F-16s are like outdated cars, and they are of little use
There is little chance that Ukraine will receive the latest F-16 models. They are too expensive, and the West will not want to risk high-end equipment in this conflict.
Older versions of the F-16 fighter have less powerful radars, do not have stealth technology and are equipped with outdated avionics.
When deliveries of the first F-16 aircraft began, the Volkswagen Golf MK1 was already in production. The latest version of the Volkswagen MK8 is still called Golf, but today this German car is packed with modern technology and it has much more features. So, although the outdated F-16 aircraft are still in use – just like the younger Volkswagen Golf models – many countries are now looking to switch from the F-16 to the new, improved F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Due to the trend towards updating the fleet of combat aircraft, several F-16s with "high mileage" are becoming potentially available.
However, like cars, over time, jet aircraft become less reliable and their performance increasingly depends on the availability of spare parts.
In addition to the radar, modern fighters also need the latest electronic warfare devices, protective equipment, infrared sensors, a Link-16 data transmission system and a computer system for programming and delivering the latest generation of high-tech air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. In addition, we need trained pilots and ground crew, weapons, spare parts, ground planning tools, reconnaissance and a complex of auxiliary infrastructure.
Will Ukraine get the necessary technical modernization?
Modern air-to-air missiles combined with the latest generation radars installed on the F-16 will pose a real threat to Russian fighters. However, if less high-end equipment is supplied to Ukraine, it will only strengthen the position of the Russian Air Force. For Ukraine, a serious risk lies in the fact that it, having received what it asked for, namely F-16 fighters, will find that reality is very different from expectations.
The promise to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, received at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, despite organizational difficulties, is of great importance to President Vladimir Zelensky.
The Kremlin probably hoped that the West's desire to continue supporting Kiev would weaken by the end of the year. Therefore, despite the disparaging rhetoric, the decision to help Ukraine create its own combat aircraft in the long term will be a serious setback and cause for concern for Putin.
Author of the article: Sean Bell, military analyst