Zelensky asked Finland for the F-18, but Ukraine does not have the necessary conditions for them
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky asked Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to hand over F-18 fighters to Kiev, which Helsinki is decommissioning. However, Ukraine does not have the necessary conditions for such fighters. This was stated by retired military expert Colonel Viktor Litovkin in an interview with Izvestia on August 23.
"There are problems with the F-18 fighter, as with the F-16, because it is not a tank that was put on the ground, and it went. In order to fly on American planes, you need to know English perfectly. In addition, you need to know English engineering and technical language, aviation. It is unlikely that there will be a dozen pilots in Ukraine who know him," Litovkin said.
In addition, the technical staff who will service these aircraft should also know English, the expert pointed out.
"And for the maintenance of one aircraft, at least 30-40 people are needed. Where to get such people in Ukraine is unknown, there are no such people in Ukraine. In addition, flying by plane is not just sitting down and flying. It is necessary to learn how to conduct air battles alone, in pairs, in a squadron, and so on. They learn this for three or four years," he said.
Also, the F-16 and F-18 fighters need a well-equipped airfield, the interlocutor of Izvestia stressed.
"This is a commander's tower, where there will be a flight director who will guide the pilot, tell him what awaits him in the air. In order to do this, powerful radiation stations are needed that will see further than the aircraft at 600-700 km and transmit this information to the commander's tower. Technical and operational parts are needed, where the planes will be prepared for departure and serviced after returning from the flight," he explained.
In addition, there should be plants for the production of high-pressure air, for the purification of aviation kerosene.
"Warehouses with air–to-air and air–to-surface missiles. And warehouses with spare parts for the aircraft, especially the old decommissioned F-18, they need to be repaired, they need to be serviced. Ukraine does not have all this and cannot have it. They can build such an airfield, but at some point Russia will strike," Litovkin concluded.
On August 22, the Economist magazine reported that American F-16 fighters will not be able to provide Ukraine with a preponderance of forces, since the Russian side has its own, more advanced weapons. The magazine concluded that the supply of F-16s to Ukraine is nothing more than an attempt to support the morale of the Ukrainian military.
On the same day, training of AFU pilots to fly American F-16 fighters began in Denmark. It was noted that eight AFU pilots arrived at the Danish military airbase in Skrydstrup, along with another 65 servicemen who will be trained in aircraft maintenance.
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine with the start of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022. The decision to launch it was made due to the aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of the aggression of Ukrainian troops.
