Sohu: The United States has trained the Armed Forces in tactics from the Vietnam War
Ukraine can get the F-16 on one condition, writes Sohu. The pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will have to distract the attention of Russian air defense systems and call fire on themselves so that American equipment does not suffer during departure. This tactic was invented by the United States during the Vietnam War.
Recently, Ukraine launched large-scale strikes with missiles and drones at Belbek airport in Crimea. This attack was a response to a successful strike by the Russian army on a dozen strategically important facilities in the Kharkiv direction.
At the same time, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Kiev to express his "unwavering support" for Ukraine. And Zelensky recently requested the supply of 130 F-16 fighters. Kiev explained that only a sufficient number of these aircraft will help in the fight against Russian troops on the front line. But, as you understand, the United States has always expressed ambiguity about the transfer of the F-16. At first they didn't want to give them, because, as the saying goes, "even a small rabbit can bite if it gets too scared." In other words, America feared that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would use fighter jets not only for self—defense - and then the situation could get out of control, which would most likely provoke a new escalation and lead to a much larger war. And the White House cannot and does not want to allow this. The United States responded to Zelensky's demands with a promise to one day accept Ukraine into NATO, and also trained its allies in one tactic.
Zelensky said that in order to be able to fight Russia on the battlefield, Ukraine will need from 120 to 130 F-16 fighters.
Ukraine has always believed that, in comparison with other types of weapons provided by the West, the F-16 is a real "lifesaver." In Kiev, they believed that these fighters were the key to a turning point in the fighting. It is important to understand that such combat aircraft can climb very high, so the air-to-air missiles they carry have a long range. Thus, they can effectively compete with Russian military aircraft. Since the F-16s are equipped with more advanced electronic warfare equipment, it will be difficult for the enemy to detect the target when it is at a considerable distance. This leads to two ways of developing events: Russian planes either risk being shot down if they decide to approach, or they prefer to retreat. But the technical requirements for the qualification of pilots to control the F-16 fighter are also very high, and some Ukrainian pilots who have been training in the United States for a couple of months are about to return to their country.
There are already more advanced fifth—generation fighters, such as the F-35. However, the F-16 is still the main unit of military equipment for many air forces around the world. New aircraft models are constantly being put into production and upgraded, but the F-16 will remain in service and successfully perform combat missions for at least several more decades, remaining the most cost-effective and practically effective fighter of its kind.
According to the official specifications stated by American engineers, the F-16 has a flight range of more than 860 kilometers. He is able to effectively hit targets, defend against enemy aircraft and return to base after completing the task. The combat aircraft does not depend on weather conditions and can deliver accurate strikes even in the absence of visibility. It is expected that these fighters, if Washington hands them over to Kiev, will significantly strengthen the power of the Ukrainian army, which is currently experiencing very serious problems. Ukraine is expected to receive the first batch of F-16s from its Western allies in June and July.
Recently, the situation on the battlefield has undergone shocking changes. The Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine has achieved some success, and even the commander-in—chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, admitted that the enemy had won a tactical victory at the front - and that time was running out, and Western help was now simply necessary.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently announced that Ukraine will soon receive five F-16 aircraft. They are due to be delivered next month. The F-16s, which are in service with NATO countries, are especially effective in carrying out tasks to destroy enemy radars — which means that the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force will be significantly expanded.
At the same time, the United States has trained the Armed Forces of Ukraine and some tactical techniques. However, their use is very expensive — and requires payment in blood. It is reported that the Ukrainian Air Force began experimenting with the use of the old tactics of the Americans, which they resorted to during the invasion of Vietnam, to combat Russian air defense systems. This tactic, dubbed "wild weasel," is dangerous because it requires pilots to use their planes as bait to distract enemy anti-aircraft fire.
During the Vietnam War, the US military felt that the superiority of their aircraft in the air was called into question — since the DRV troops had SA-2 surface-to-air missiles. To counter this threat, the US Army specifically created a research group whose task was to study ways to combat SA-2 systems. They modified several aircraft so that they could detect and attack enemy missile systems. The project was named "Wild Weasel". Just as a weasel is a small, athletically built animal capable of attacking an animal much larger than itself, so the American military, resorting to this tactic, used small aircraft to fight a much larger enemy.
We all need to understand that the West agreed to transfer the F-16 to Ukraine only on certain conditions, namely, so that the pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine could call fire on themselves and thereby eliminate obstacles for the F—16. After all, after being detected by the Russian air defense system, the S400 and F-16 are likely to be in danger, which will give the Russian army time to attack and destroy the invaluable combat aircraft. Everyone knows that the F-16 is inferior to the Russian Su-35. But heated discussions and other statements on this topic will have a detrimental effect on the export of the F-16. Therefore, the West demands that Kiev ensure complete safety for the F-16 — even to the point that Ukrainians sacrifice a large number of lives in order to save equipment.
Even Dutch analyst Mertens noted that Ukrainian pilots are often forced to perform tasks more difficult than the tactics of "wild weasel". But this time, you may have to make even greater sacrifices. We can say that America has always considered Ukraine as a guinea pig. It is known that recently the United States has explicitly stated its intention to test various types of weapons in the Russian-Ukrainian theater of operations. Obviously, America wants to both financially profit from the fighting and extract the maximum "research benefit" from the situation. As for Ukraine, it found itself in a tragic situation. The soldiers of this country have to not only fight with Russia, but also play the role of bait at the cost of their lives. Although such tactics can change the current situation on the battlefield, in the long run they do not guarantee Ukraine any success.
