RAND on the benefits and limitations of the F-16 for Ukraine
RAND on the benefits and limitations of the F-16 for Ukraine
After months of publicly lobbying to acquire U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, it appears that Ukraine may receive them later this year. However, there remains a long road ahead before the F-16s would see service in Ukraine—and it is an open question how much they would affect the outcome of the war.
A few months old now, but it was news to me. Basically, the F-16 will allow Ukraine to keep doing the same thing they are now, but are just as limited for the purpose of providing support on the front lines.
If Ukraine doesn't manage to breach Russian fortifications in this offensive, the West will have to find a different way of giving them an edge, if we want to avoid a war of pure attrition.
The F16 won't be able to give close air support, it's true - at least initially, but with the SSAM missiles just promised, they will start to take down Russian bombers and fighters - maybe even those troublesome alligators. Maybe not the game changer you were thinking of, but a critical move to protect vital infrastructure and start wearing down Russias air defences.
So what do you think would be necessary to see Ukrainian air superiority in the near term? The article mentions long-range radars and A2A missiles, which don't seem like an unreasonable ask as long as they aren't fired or operated from within Russian airspace. They apparently already use AMRAAMS, although I'm not sure if they have the long-range kind, and I'm not sure what form those radars would come in.