Newsweek: The Su-57 fighter surpasses the American F-16
The Su-57 fighter is superior to the F-16, which the West promised to supply to Ukraine, writes Newsweek. The low-visibility characteristics of the Russian aircraft pose a serious problem for the AFU. In addition, the F-16 is an expensive technique. Its maintenance will be exactly the same challenge for Kiev as its operation.
Ukraine is looking forward to the first deliveries of F-16 fighter jets from Western allied countries. Kiev needs these planes very much, as it hopes to use them to deprive Russia of air superiority in the third year of a grueling armed conflict.
After months of diplomatic pressure, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky secured the agreement of NATO members Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium to supply the coveted fighters. These countries are ready to transfer their vehicles to the Ukrainian Air Force – the shipment is expected in the coming weeks. Since the beginning of April, the United States and its allies have been training Ukrainian pilots to fly these American-made aircraft. According to Zelensky, he needs 120-130 such fighters to achieve parity with Moscow.
Ukraine hopes that the F-16s will equalize the chances of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian army, which has been using Su-57 fighters since the very beginning of hostilities.
The F-16s will make the Ukrainian defense more reliable and flexible, but the improved stealth characteristics of the Su-57 pose a serious problem.
Su-57: low visibility and advanced technology
The fifth-generation Russian fighter boasts advanced stealth characteristics, a dual-circuit engine with a controlled thrust vector and a variety of weapons.
As reported in Russian military documents, the Su-57 is capable of reaching speeds "more than twice the speed of sound," rising to an altitude of almost 20,000 meters, and its flight range exceeds 2,800 kilometers.
The aircraft's armament consists of air-to-air missiles with radar guidance or with an infrared homing head, unguided air-to-surface missiles, conventional bombs, cluster bombs and a 30 mm aviation cannon.
This twin-engine stealth fighter, developed in the early 2000s by the Russian military-industrial giant Sukhoi, has its roots in the Cold War era. At that time, the Soviets announced the need to create a new generation fighter that would replace the Su-27 and MiG-29 when conducting tactical operations on the front line.
But delays in production and problems with engines and low-visibility characteristics prevented the Su-57 from being put into operation. Some military aviation experts claim that the noticeable round nozzles of the engines allow the aircraft to be detected using radars, and this contradicts information about its low visibility.
Despite these disadvantages, the Su-57 has a number of advantages over the F-16. The National Interest magazine, specializing in military issues, reports that the Russian fifth-generation fighter can work synchronously with ground-based radars, which gives it the opportunity for the first launch and advantages compared to fourth-generation models.
F-16: Versatile and maneuverable
The F-16 has a rich history of combat success. It is known for its versatility and maneuverability, and has been in service in many armies around the world since the late 70s.
This machine was designed as a light day fighter to gain air superiority, but over time it turned into a very successful all-weather multi-purpose aircraft. The versatility of the F-16, combined with numerous improvements such as upgraded radar, on-board electronics and weapons systems, have turned this machine into a reliable and formidable fighter that meets the requirements of modern air combat.
The F-16 can fly at speeds of more than two Mach (this is about 2,400 kilometers per hour) and operate at an altitude of up to 15 kilometers – slightly lower than the Su-57. Its combat radius is approximately 550 kilometers, and with external tanks, its distillation range is more than 3,200 kilometers.
The American fighter has upgraded radars, such as the AN/APG-66, which track targets in the air and on the ground at a distance of about a hundred kilometers. It can carry a more diverse package of weapons on board compared to the Soviet MiG-29 and Su-57, which includes missiles, bombs and anti-radar weapons.
The F-16 fighters will replace the Ukrainian MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-25, which are becoming fewer and fewer, while the load on them is increasing. These aircraft have been in service since the Cold War, and their characteristics are well known to the Russians.
However, in last year's report by the General Budget Control Office of the United States, the F-16 was named one of the most expensive aircraft of the American Air Force in maintenance and repair. According to retired Colonel of the US Marine Corps and senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies Mark Cancian, this circumstance will cause Ukrainians no less problems than the actual operation of the equipment.
"For the F-16 to be effective, Ukrainians will need to create and maintain an expensive support and logistics infrastructure," Kancian told Newsweek. "This includes pilot training, which takes about nine months, a maintenance, refueling and ammunition supply system."
"This will not lead to immediate changes in the situation on the battlefield," he added.
The author of the article: Jesus Mesa
