F‑16 jets to face tough challenges on Ukrainian front line
The commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, explains in an interview with The Guardian's website that F-16 fighter jets, which will soon reach the front line, will have some limitations. For fear of the planes being destroyed by the Russians, F-16s will not be able to fly within 40 kilometres of the front line.
Although many experts believe the long-awaited F-16 fighters supplied by Ukraine's Western allies could potentially change the course of the conflict, some opinions counter this, suggesting that the American machines will not be "miracle weapons."
Experts connected to the military sector have also recently highlighted that F-16s will not have an easy task to conduct effective attacks and survive. The latest analyses indicate that the greatest threats to the Russians will come from fighter jets operating around Crimea and the southern part of Ukraine. There, Ukrainians are expected to have the freedom to operate radar planes.
However, the situation looks slightly worse for the Ukrainian armed forces along the eastern and northeastern border of Ukraine. There, the Russians are said to be gathering more tools for combating F-16s and simultaneously presenting the greatest threat to them.
Ukrainians want to protect F-16s from attacks
The Ukrainian military is fully aware of the difficulties and risks F-16 pilots will undertake in Ukraine. The fighters will be targeted by the Russians, which makes it essential to ensure their safety. Oleksandr Syrsky revealed that one of the steps to help the defending army and increase the survivability of the fighter crews is to ensure that F-16s do not come closer than 40 kilometres to the front line. – F-16s will have to stay 40 kilometres or more from the front line due to the risk of being destroyed by Moscow – said Syrsky.
However, let's remember that the Russian Federation also has concerns about its own aviation. It recently admitted that it does not know how to defend against Ukrainian missiles and drones. As a result, Moscow intends to prepare special hangars to hide its most valuable planes from threats.
The arsenal of no ordinary fighters will amplify this threat. Today, f-16s are considered one of the best fighter jets in the world. They are incredibly manoeuvrable – they accelerate to about 2,500 kilometres per hour and weigh only around 8,000 kilograms.
The armament of these American machines is also significant. Mounted on the underwing hardpoints of the F-16 can be an array of different guided missiles (including the AGM-65 Maverick), Mk.82/84 bombs weighing up to 900 kilograms (in the case of the Mk.84), and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air radar missiles.
F-16s can operate at a maximum altitude of over 14 kilometres. The range of these fighters in the basic version reaches 3,200 kilometres, while with an additional fuel tank installed, it increases to 4,200 kilometres.
