Article

2023-05-19 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

US signals to allies it won't block their export of F-16 jets to Ukraine

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Posted by Enver Slager8035 2023-05-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top

#1 Ukraine could receive 'game changing' F-16s as White House 'tells European allies it will not block export of fighter jets'

Posted by Skidmark 2023-05-19 09:40|| 2023-05-19 09:40|| Front Page Top

#2 Put western anti-air missiles on there and suddenly things become a lot more deadly for Russian jets approaching the Ukrainian border.

Also the Ukrainians can now fully use the HARM missiles they received. The MIG-29 didn't have the data 2 way to change the flight path so they were just launching them at an area and hoped the Russians didn't turn off the radar and move it. Still did a lot of damage, even in that mode.

Posted by DarthVader 2023-05-19 13:04|| 2023-05-19 13:04|| Front Page Top

#3 Also 6 JDAMs per sortie. No better shovel against dug in troops exists.

Posted by Enver Slager8035 2023-05-19 15:18|| 2023-05-19 15:18|| Front Page Top

#4 $3Billion will get you some 40 F-16s.

Then the time it will take to train the Ukrainians to fly them, right? Right?

Posted by swksvolFF 2023-05-19 18:57|| 2023-05-19 18:57|| Front Page Top

#5 Used F-16s from NATO counties that are decommissioning them for F-35s. Possibilities: Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium to begin. Then there are hundreds of US F-16s in storage, not to mention the F-16's that are replaced by 48 F-35s each year.

US Air Force instructors that evaluated 2 Ukrainian pilots reported that it will take 4 months to fully train them on the F-16. A more interesting question is how long will it take MiG and Su maintainers to train up, w/ backup in Poland.

Posted by Enver Slager8035 2023-05-19 20:42|| 2023-05-19 20:42|| Front Page Top

#6 Portugal also volunteered to train pilots and maintainers. No word if they will donate any of their F-16s. They sold some to Romania earlier.

Posted by Enver Slager8035 2023-05-19 22:12|| 2023-05-19 22:12|| Front Page Top

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