Surprise F-16 Update Issued by Ukraine

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published May 01, 2024 at 6:17 AM EDT


Ukraine will start operating F-16s after Orthodox Easter on May 5, Kyiv has said, as the country contends with devastating Russian bombardment and the long wait for the Western-made fighter jets.

"We are waiting," Ukrainian air force spokesperson Ilya Yevlash said, adding the jets will be taking to the skies over the war-torn country "after Easter," according to remarks reported by Ukrainian media on Wednesday.

A number of Ukraine's Western backers—Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium—have pledged to supply Lockheed Martin-made F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.

Kyiv has long requested the advanced jets to upgrade and replenish its air force, battered by more than two years of war against Russia's superior and more numerous aircraft. Russia has used its aircraft, flying outside of the reach of Ukraine's air defenses, to launch devastating aerial guided bomb strikes on Ukraine.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-air-force-1895964

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Great news! or It's about f*****g time! nt

[2naSalit]

3. No sh*t!

[calimary]

7. Both of those at the same time!

[mitch96]

15. +1.. I wonder how many pilots will be in the International Legion (non Ukrainian volunteers) will fly F-16?

I bet there are a bunch of jet jocks with GOBS if F-16 time just itching to get into a tussle..
Or should we call them "advisors" Like back in the 1960's?
Ruzzian pilots flew for North Korea and Vietnam in those conflicts..
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196389/soviet-pilots-over-mig-alley/
Hummmm
m

[2naSalit]

2. About time!

Geeze Louise!

[Grins]

4. Where are the F-16's we gave them??! NM

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I don't think we have shipped any there

They are using the European ones and we will be providing the Europeans "replacements" (most likely F-35s).

[paleotn]

18. We didn't give them any of ours. The deal is for NATO hand me downs.

Several NATO allies were in the process of swapping their aging F-16s for F-35s anyway. They're an older block. Not what our active duty guys fly generally. But still lightyears from the junk Ukraine started with or the slightly more modern junk the Russians operate. Plus, it's not like loaning a friend your car and they just drive away. It takes weeks to months for Ukrainian pilots to become even nominally proficient. The avionics are totally alien to anyone who's only known old Soviet era aircraft. How F-16s were designed to be operated is alien to them as well. Our tactics are different from the Russian doctrine Ukrainians grew up on, thus our kit is very different.

We're asking a lot of those guys and they're not getting a hell of a lot of aircraft. Roughly 45 over several months. Don't expect miracles.

[peppertree]

22. Or Denmark's

The charlatans sold all their old F-16's recently to Argentina - which doesn't need them, or can use them for that matter (thanks to a UK boycott on anything with UK parts in it - which F-16s all have).

https://www.democraticunderground.com/113341294

Then again - they probably expect Trump's mini-me Milei to not last long enough to buy all 24 (ojalá).

[blue-wave]

6. GOOD!!! Now

With the ATACMS coming into play ( Ukraine just hit multiple targets in Crimea, though the Ruzzians claim no missles got thru, which is BS ) let's kick ass!! Slava Ukraini!! Heroyam Slava!! Slava NaViki!!

[Leghorn21]

8. Hallefuckenlujah!!!!!!!

I just cannot say how happy this makes me!!!!

🇺🇦🌻

[mitch96]

16. Yup, happy dance time

[bluestarone]

9. So happy for Ukraine.

[iluvtennis]

10. Awesome news!! n/t

[orangecrush]

11. Blow the Kerch bridge

Would love to see that

[Lithos]

31. ATACMS are not the best for that

The better choice would be the German TAURUS system, which is being denied. The TAURUS is designed for this type of hard target. I gather the denial is exactly for this reason.

[sheshe2]

12. This is wonderful news, TY BRDS.

I also found this:

First Ukrainian F-16 pilots will complete training as soon as May
Air National Guard director says the effort is taking a bit longer because pilots need to learn a “full range of missions.”

The U.S. is training 12 Ukrainian pilots in fiscal 2024—all of whom are set to graduate between May and August, according to Arizona National Guard spokesperson Capt. Erin Hannigan.

But what the pilots do then depends on the broader Ukrainian F-16 effort and when the jets will actually arrive in Ukraine, Loh said. The U.S., which controls the export of the fighter jets, gave allies the green light to transfer F-16s to Ukraine in July.

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2024/02/first-ukrainian-f-16-pilots-will-complete-training-soon-may/394264/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20is%20training%2012,arrive%20in%20Ukraine%2C%20Loh%20said.

[BumRushDaShow]

26. I had posted a link downthread to another thread with some video updates

one of which is where it indicated that the UK RAF-trained Ukrainian pilots completed their "basic" training back in March and would be in France for the "advanced" training. After that, they might be pretty much ready to kick some ass -

At the same time, the maintenance training has been ongoing so those jets can be properly kept in good working order.

[sheshe2]

28. All this is great news for Ukraine.

Kicking Putin’s ass sounds good to me.

Slava Ukraini

[Warpy]

13. Finally! Now they can shoot down those heavy bombers

as soon as they enter the range and that's the only way they'll have to counter Russia's glide bombs, which they're making larger but no more accurate. Those damned things have been devastating.

Russia is going to have a very hard time talking their pilots back into the air after the first few weeks.

[mitch96]

17. Yup, get them deadly glide bombs out of range...nt

[samsingh]

14. this another good system Ukraine will operate that is supported by Nato

[captain queeg]

19. Putin will be issuing threats in response. Not much else he can actually do.

[oldsoftie]

20. Cautiously optimistic but also nervous.

Russias military has been incompetent but their air defense isnt as weak as we'd like. Fighters need support

[BumRushDaShow]

21. I've posted some updates in various OPs but the last set has a couple videos

showing the training/status over the past year - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3229456

[niyad]

23. SLAVA UKRAINI!!! About f'n damned time!!!

[PortTack]

24. It's a good day....SLAVA UKRAINE!

[Gore1FL]

25. If they have air superiority, they will win the day.

We've seen that the S300 and S400 systems are less than advertised.

To think that a 50-year-old plane (upgraded, obviously) could dominate the airspace is also telling of the aircraft Russia is operating.

[3Hotdogs]

27. In fairness to Russia, why haven't we given them any of our surplus Boeings?

[et tu]

29. windows are to small nt

[sarisataka]

30. Strange tactic

I would have announced the F-16s with a Sidewinder up the tailpipe of an SU-57

[Kennah]

32. Sgt Doakes says

[Evolve Dammit]

33. Kremlin in flames? I still wonder if Ukraine had not given up it's nukes if any of this would have happened??