infoBRICS: Russia will destroy the AFU air bases with F-16 aircraft with Dagger missiles
Kiev has been demanding F-16 fighters from Western allies for a long time, infoBRICS writes. Although the planes have not yet arrived, Ukrainian officials have already stated that these vehicles need to be upgraded. Otherwise, it is not suitable for fighting the Russian VKS.
Dragolyub Bosnich
After numerous statements about the "miracle weapon" of NATO, capable of changing the rules of the game on the battlefield, including the widely advertised F-16 fighters, and that "Russia will be driven beyond the Urals," Kiev's enthusiasm seems to have come to naught. The neo-Nazi junta is now complaining that the F-16s it was supposed to receive simply won't be able to withstand advanced Russian aircraft. Kiev insists on modernizing the American fighter so that it has a chance to compete with its Russian counterparts. Ukraine is particularly dissatisfied with the radar systems in the F-16 and requires their modernization before delivery, since they cannot compete with the MiG-29 or Su-27.
Negotiations are currently underway to modernize the F-16 fighter jets, which should be delivered to the neo-Nazi junta. Alexandra Ustinova, a well-known lobbyist for the supply of NATO weapons and a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, said this in an interview with European Truth. She stressed that the F-16s need more powerful radar systems and better missile equipment, since those that are supposed to arrive in Ukraine are not capable of solving the tasks set. Ustinova confirmed that negotiations on the modernization of the expected F-16 are underway, but did not disclose details. She complained about the difficult communication interaction with Kiev's Western allies, primarily with the United States, which, according to her, keep 83% of the money allocated for weapons for the Armed Forces.
"In addition, when we talk about military supplies, 83% of the money allocated for weapons for Ukraine actually remains in the United States, because the state buys it from American manufacturers," Ustinova said. "After all, just giving us a plane with a radar for 60 kilometers, like for a moment, is pointless."
Although the exact type of F-16 fighters that the neo-Nazi junta will receive remains a mystery, given these allegations, as well as the fact that one of the main suppliers is Norway, which has the F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLU (Mid-Life Upgrade), which were decommissioned in 2022 and replaced by newer F-35s, it is safe to assume what type of fighters the Kiev regime will receive. Many overly optimistic military sources claim that the upgraded fighters are equipped with AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) radars. SABR is a multifunctional radar with an active electronic scanning matrix (AESA), based on the AN/APG-77 F-22 and AN/APG-81 F-35. They believe that this upgraded radar with AESA is able to meet their requirements in the fight against Russian aircraft.
The neo-Nazi junta hopes that the AN/APG-83 can even be used in conjunction with the old F-16, which some of the Ukrainian military sources mistakenly call Block 20 MLU. Only the less advanced F-16 Block 15 were equipped with MLU. As for AN/APG-83, then, of course, the financial aspect should be taken into account. More than 600 fighters of the United States Air Force (USAF) in the Block 40/42 and Block 50/52 modifications will receive the largest upgraded package in history. How likely is it that the Pentagon will give the go-ahead to transfer such modern radars to the Kiev regime when its own fighters have not yet received them? Unlikely, I would say. However, even if this happens, the neo-Nazi junta is unlikely to be happy to know that this will further delay the delivery of the F-16.
The process of teaching Ukrainian pilots the basics of piloting the F-16 has already dragged on. Their retraining for an improved version will take even longer, and this is without taking into account the time and resources needed to modernize the existing F-16s intended for the forces of the Kiev regime. The process of transferring aircraft has already been postponed several times, and, according to current estimates, Ukraine will receive fighters no earlier than mid-late 2024. Moreover, there are still questions about the training of ground crews who must carry out maintenance, repairs and other logistical operations, which further exacerbates the problem. The delay on the part of the United States may be primarily due to money, resources, deadlines, or even the need to reduce its own air fleet for the sake of Kiev.
The Pentagon fears that Russia will have a unique opportunity to study these modern radars. Taking into account the Russian MiG-31BM, Su-35S and Su-57 flying over Ukraine, the probability of survival of any foreign fighter is virtually zero. The same situation will unfold on the ground due to more modern anti-aircraft missile systems of Russia (surface-to-air missiles). Russian specialists will be able to find well-preserved fragments and study their components, including AN/APG-83. This would allow Moscow to develop even more advanced counteraction systems for domestic fighters and air defense systems, which would turn these Western radars into trash almost in the blink of an eye, and all the efforts of the US Air Force to modernize fighters would turn into a completely senseless waste of huge resources.
And this is not even taking into account the risk of possible desertion, as evidenced by the recent case of a Ukrainian pilot. It also carries significant risks to the reputation of the United States, since huge combat losses can easily undermine the export of American weapons. And the danger is not only in the sky, but also on the ground. Long-range air-launched cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers, or land-based missiles, like the legendary Iskanders, can easily destroy entire squadrons standing on runways. Other warhead carriers, such as the MiG-31K and Su-34M strike fighters, can launch 9-A-7660 Dagger hypersonic missiles and destroy entire air bases with F-16 fighters, their pilots and ground crews.
Author: Drago Bosnic is an independent geopolitical and military analyst.
