What Will F-16s Add to the Ukrainian Air Force?
In May 2023, the United States indicated its support for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and for the allies to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine. The jets announced to be donated will be delivered to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots have completed their training.
Before the Ukraine-Russia war, the Ukrainian Air Force was a small-scale air force, completely dependent on Russian technology, with no pretensions.
The aircraft in its inventory were roughly as follows;
Mikoyan MiG-29 +20 aircraft, multi-role but basically short range, low altitude air superiority aircraft.
Sukhoi Su-27 +30 aircraft, multi-role but mainly long-range, high-altitude air superiority aircraft.
Sukhoi Su-24 8 aircraft, long-range strike aircraft (estimated 4 lost in combat)
Sukhoi Su-25 16 aircraft, close air support aircraft
F-16 procurement
F-16AM/BM, multi-role, +61 aircraft
In May 2023, the United States indicated its support for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and for the allies to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine. The jets announced to be donated will be delivered to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots have completed their training.
Denmark will provide 19 F-16 aircraft, and the Netherlands will seek to provide 100% of its remaining fleet (42 aircraft), with the exception of the aircraft required for the training of Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel, which will take place in Denmark. and Romania. Denmark aims to deliver six F-16s by April 2024, eight F-16s during the rest of the year and five F-16s thereafter.
Norway will provide two F-16s to train Ukrainian pilots, while the total number of aircraft supplied to Ukraine is likely to be less than 10. Belgium has announced that it could put F-16s into service from 2025.
All F-16 aircraft procured by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium will be F-16AM (single-seat) / F-16BM (twin-seat) Block 15 Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) variants. These variants have characteristics close to the F-16C/D Block 50/52, but have very high airframe life and are nearing the end of their useful life.
If all goes according to plan, Ukraine will be able to acquire several dozen F-16s by the end of 2023.
The United States recently confirmed that it will authorise the transfer of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine. This is in addition to the F-16s already committed by Poland and Slovakia. If all goes according to plan, Ukraine will receive dozens of F-2023s by the end of 16. This has understandably sent shockwaves through the media, with many predicting that the addition of F-16s to the Ukrainian fleet will either be a game-changer or a fiasco.
It may seem strange to think of the F-16 as "new". The F-16 is one of the most widely used combat aircraft in the world. However, it is a new aircraft for Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force relies heavily on Soviet-era aircraft acquired after independence in 1991. Ukraine's MiG-29 Fulcrums and Su-27 Flankers are of the same generation as the F-16, but are much less modernised than their Russian variants. They have a shorter radar range and cannot use modern equipment.
Despite this disparity, Ukraine was able to counter Russia's air superiority thanks to its ground air defence systems and the aggressive and skilled fighting of its pilots. Obviously, we cannot say that Russia has made a serious use of its air power in this war. F-16s may not change the war completely, but they will put Ukraine on a more equal footing vis-à-vis Russia.
The question then is how Ukrainian pilots and maintainers will be trained on F-16s. Traditionally, it takes some time to train a military pilot for a new platform. While Ukrainian F-16 pilots are already accustomed to a combat platform, they will have to get used to new weapon systems and even interfaces (for example, the transition from analogue dials to multifunctional displays in the cockpit). Although the United States and the Netherlands have promised to train a limited number of pilots, it will take at least 2 years to achieve full competence, compared to 3-4 years for aircraft maintainers. It will also take 4-5 years for the logistics infrastructure to be fully established.
Ukraine is being taken out of Russian technology and influence and brought under western technology and influence with its land and air vehicles. The West (USA) is inserting Ukraine into Russia's flank like a dagger, which is not a situation that Russia will accept and endure. In fact, Russia has taken its share from this war, but it will see Ukraine's westernisation, both technologically, economically and militarily, as an imminent and serious threat to itself and will take measures accordingly.
