Ukraine has received a first batch of U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets to help it fight Russian forces, Lithuania’s foreign minister and a U.S. official have said.
The long-awaited arrival is a milestone for Ukraine, which
has not publicly commented on it for now. The lengthy process to
procure the U.S.-designed aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots to
fly them has frustrated Kyiv.
Russia has had time to prepare defences to try to nullify
the F-16s’ impact, and Ukraine has had to survive with a
depleted air force a fraction of the size and sophistication of
its enemy’s.
Here are some facts about how the F-16s may help Ukraine and
what obstacles still lie in the way of effective deployment.
Small Numbers
The number of delivered F-16s appears to be small for now.
The Times of London cited a source familiar with the matter who
put the figure at just six aircraft.
That number is expected to grow, but it is far short of what
military analysts say Ukraine needs more than 29 months since
Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and
Cooperation Center, a non-governmental research group, said at
least 60 planes would be needed for significant operations as
Ukraine attempts to push Russian aviation back from its borders.
Lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova, who leads Kyiv’s parliamentary
commission on arms and munitions, said that Ukraine would need
nearer to 120 F-16s to boost its air capability
significantly.
While the pilots gain experience in Ukrainian skies and the
military builds out its air infrastructure, the initial
deliveries could at least help Ukraine strengthen its air
shield, some experts say.
“It will provide some air defence and depth capacity,
potentially also help intercepting Shaheds [Iranian-built
drones] and cruise missiles. Although it is a very expensive way
of doing that, munitions-wise,” said Justin Bronk, senior
research fellow for airpower and technology at Royal United
Services Institute (RUSI).
Ukraine’s military has worked hard to reduce the threat to
the arriving F-16s in recent months by attacking Russian air
defences, according to Kuzan.
“The formation of the battlefield, especially in the south,
is already taking place,” he said. “Ukraine has the capabilities
to systematically strike Russia’s foremost air defence
complexes.”
Pilots And Maintenance
Training will be crucial.
“You can have lots of fast jets but if they don’t have
effective weapons, and air crew able to employ them with
effective tactics, then they will just be shot down in large
numbers,” said Bronk.
The timeline for the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s
has dominated discussions about deliveries and pledges of more
than 70 jets.  By the end of 2024, Ukraine expects to have at least 20 pilots ready to fly F-16s, Ustinova said.
Aircraft maintenance was an even more pressing
challenge than pilot training. Most repairs and maintenance would need to happen inside Ukraine, and it would probably have to rely on foreign contractors who know the aircraft.
Ukraine would also have to focus on defending air bases where the F-16s would be located.
With Reuters inputs
