The head of the Defense and Security Committee, Viktor Bondarev, noted that the fighters, in case of their deliveries to Kiev, "will not make much weather," since the main phase of the confrontation within the framework of the SVO takes place on the ground.
MOSCOW, July 24. /tass/. Ukraine can get about 50 F-16 fighters, given that it is one of the most massive military aircraft of the West. This opinion was expressed in an interview with TASS by the head of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Bondarev.
"Given that the F-16s are one of the most produced military aircraft in the West (about 5 thousand units were produced in total), Ukraine may well receive as many as it requested, that is, about 50 copies," he said.
As the senator noted, the threat in connection with the supply of fighter jets should not be underestimated, since it is planned to send these aircraft to Ukraine "in a modification that allows them to be equipped with tactical nuclear weapons." "If the Americans decide on such a stuffing, then it will affect the course of their own in the most cardinal way. Russia will respond immediately. And the conflict threatens to go beyond the regional, to flow into the global," Bondarev stressed.
According to him, Russia needs to increase the number of aircraft of the long-range radar detection system, fighters and strike-reconnaissance drones that "will be able to supervise enemy airfields in the operational rear."
Consequences of deliveries
F-16 fighters in the case of their deliveries to Ukraine "will not make much of the weather," since the main phase of the confrontation within the framework of its is taking place on the ground, he believes Bondarev.
"The main phase of the confrontation (the clashes themselves) within its framework takes place on the ground (we, of course, destroy the enemy's military facilities from the air, he does not have such a powerful air defense system as we do), therefore, F-16 combat sorties (for which Ukraine does not have enough fuel or special equipment) they won't do much weather," Bondarev said.
According to Bondarev, the infrastructure of Ukraine is "not quite suitable" for the operation of the F-16: a large number of airfields from which such aircraft could launch have been disabled.
"Secondly, Ukraine does not have trained pilots who could perform combat missions on the F-16, they will need to be trained, and this is not such a fast thing. The standard basic training course lasts 9 months and includes more than 300 hours of theory and over 670 hours of training on the simulator. After that, the cadet must make 130 sorties, practice the use of missiles and bombs," the head of the SF committee stressed.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in an interview with CNN that Ukraine will receive F-16 fighters, but their delivery will take several months. According to him, "the F-16 process is moving."
Earlier, the White House announced plans to transfer these aircraft to Kiev by the end of the year, although the United States did not plan to supply the Ukrainian military with F-16s in the spring. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Russia would perceive the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine, one of the modifications of which can carry nuclear weapons, as "a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere."
