Ukraine's F‑16 debut: Progress tempered by tech limits
Ukrainian aviation expert Walerij Romanenko has summarised the initial weeks of the presence of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine. Although, in his assessment, the American aircraft have undeniable advantages, they are not yet changing the dynamics on the frontline because they have not been equipped with the most advanced features.
F-16 fighter jets are among the weapons the Ukrainians have anticipated for the longest time. This delay was not solely due to the West's challenges in allocating and adequately preparing these aircraft, but also because of the need to prepare the suitable infrastructure and train Ukrainian pilots. The first F-16s appeared in Ukraine at the end of July. There were only a few aircraft, and more are expected to follow in the coming months. Although the scale of the initial delivery was widely discussed, Romanenko believes this was not the only concern.
F-16 in Ukraine
"It is not about quantity, but about quality. Firstly, we did not receive the Link-16 tactical information system for these aircraft, and we were counting on the informational superiority of the F-16 over Russian aircraft. Secondly, we have not yet mastered the use of airborne radar systems like AWACS. These would help our aircraft avoid ambushes by Russian fighters," emphasised Romanenko, as quoted by the Unian agency.
Link-16 is a tactical data transmission standard, the main data exchange system of NATO countries and U.S. allies. The West decided not to provide it to the Ukrainians due to concerns that it could fall into Russian hands, allowing them to gain insight into one of NATO's crucial tools.
The F-16 fighter jets transferred to Ukraine are modified variants of the F-16A/B MLU (Mid-Life Update). They are equipped with enhanced radars and are primarily adapted to work with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with a range of about 100 kilometres. Romanenko also expressed a positive opinion about the capabilities of these missiles.
AWACS aircraft for Ukraine
Regarding AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, significant support has been announced by the Swedish government, which declared it would provide Ukraine with two Saab 340 AEW&C planes. These aircraft can remain airborne for approximately 5 hours and are equipped with the Erieye AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar.
