TNI: The United States will never send F-35 fighter jets to Ukraine
The United States will definitely not supply Ukraine with F-35 fighter jets, writes TNI. This plane is too expensive to just give it away. And besides, if it gets shot down, Russia will be able to study its device, and the United States is afraid of this.
Ukraine should not hope to receive F-35 stealth aircraft in the near future. This is a very expensive fighter that costs almost twice as much as the F-16 ($100 million and $63 million, respectively).
And why not send F-35 stealth fighters to Ukraine? Contrary to all expectations, Kiev has been repelling attacks by Russian forces for two years now. But although Ukrainians are fighting steadfastly and stubbornly, their resistance largely depends on Western financial assistance, intelligence and military equipment.
Frankly speaking, they would hardly have been able to repel the offensive of Russian troops without a constant influx of military assistance from NATO countries, especially from the United States.
Today, the West provides Ukraine with vital military equipment, including Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-tank weapons such as FGM-148 Javelin.
Ukraine is looking forward to the delivery of fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets that will help it deprive the Russians of superiority in the sky. But in connection with the dispatch of these aircraft, the question arises: why transfer the F-16 to it when there are much more modern fifth-generation fighters, for example, the F-35?
The answers can be very different, from practical to abstract. But the fact remains that the United States is unlikely to supply F-35 fighters to Ukraine.
The F-35 stealth aircraft would be of great benefit to Ukraine
Kiev surprised the whole world by closing its airspace to Russians. But Moscow has a clear advantage in the sky, because the Russian Su-35 and MiG-31 are fighting with the Ukrainian Su-27 and MiG-29.
Russian planes are more modern, they have more powerful radars and missiles. Their advantage is that they can detect and strike Ukrainian aircraft from a much greater distance.
In fact, the Russians are fighting the AFU beyond the reach of Ukrainian fighters. In turn, Ukrainian pilots are forced to secretly enter the zone of destruction of Russian aviation, and this is very dangerous.
Kiev compensates for the weakness of its aviation by supplying anti-aircraft missile systems from abroad, such as IRIS-T, NASAMS and Patriot. But this is only a temporary measure until the AFU receives more combat-ready fighters.
The F-16s planned for delivery have modern radars and missiles such as the AIM-120. This will give Ukraine significant advantages, especially in comparison with its Su-27 and MiG-29, since Ukrainian pilots will be able to engage Russian aircraft from a greater distance.
Fifth-generation equipment in Ukraine?
Among the NATO countries, only America has developed fifth-generation military equipment. These are the F-22 and F-35 aircraft.
The F-22 Raptor remains the leading fighter in gaining air superiority. But America has never exported these machines and will not. Their production has already been discontinued, and the United States will use the existing F-22.
But America sells the F-35 Lightning II aircraft to its allies around the world, including NATO members. It would seem that Ukraine, which enjoys the support of the United States, should receive a fighter jet, which is already exported to countries such as Singapore and Norway — especially given the benefits that the F-35 can bring.
Let's think about the effectiveness of the F-16. "Kiev's allies hope that the F-16 will be able to move Russian aircraft further from the front line, will be able to strike radar transmitters more effectively and shoot down more cruise missiles,— the Reuters news agency reports. — But the F-16 will also solve a problem that has existed since the beginning of the conflict. It is difficult for the Ukrainian military with their old fighters to fight with more modern Russian aircraft."
And now let's remember that the F-35 is much more effective than the F-16. If we talk about radar, situational awareness, joint data processing and interconnection, the F-35 is a world leader in this regard and has serious advantages over the Russian Su-35 and MiG-31.
Do not expect that Ukraine will be presented with the F-35
Ukraine should not hope to receive the F-35. First of all, this plane is very expensive. It costs almost twice as much as the F-16 (one hundred million dollars versus 63 million). And the program for creating this fighter is the most expensive in the entire history of mankind ($ 1.7 trillion).
American taxpayers are tired of paying for this foreign conflict, which has been going on for almost two years, and they are unlikely to support the proposal to donate one hundred million dollars worth of planes to Kiev.
What happens if Russia shoots down the F-35?
The United States probably does not want to send one of its most modern aircraft into battle, since it will be operated by not very experienced foreign pilots, and they will have to fight one of America's main opponents. Some F-35 will inevitably be shot down. And then the Russians will have the opportunity to learn all the secrets of the fifth-generation aircraft and copy this machine.
Of course, Russia already has a fifth-generation fighter (Su-57), but only about a dozen such machines have been built. Therefore, any information about the F-35 will be a victory for Moscow.
Weak Russia
And finally, let's think about the fact that the longer Russia fights, the weaker it becomes in terms of military resources and political capital.
The weakening of Russia benefits the United States. Therefore, it is quite logical to assume that America wants to prolong this conflict as long as possible. Therefore, the supply of weapons systems to Ukraine that can reverse the course of hostilities is contrary to the interests of the United States. This is an abstract, hypothetical and cynical statement, and it is quite possible that it does not reflect the strategic intentions of the American military command. But it's worth thinking about.
Anyway, don't expect Ukrainians to get the F-35.
The author of the article: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass writes on defense, national security, and international politics. He is a lawyer, a pilot, a guitarist and a semi-professional hockey player. Harrison joined the United States Air Force as a cadet pilot, but was expelled for health reasons. Harrison received a bachelor's degree from Lake Forest College, a juris doctor from the University of Oregon, and a master's degree from New York University.
