European Countries Likely to Send Inventory Ahead of F-35 Replacement
Time Needed for Fuel, Weapon Supply, and Pilot Training
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As Ukraine receives support for attack tanks from the United States and Germany, expectations are growing that the requested support for F-16 fighter jets may also become possible. Not only the U.S., but also various European countries are replacing their fleets with the latest F-35 fighters, and some of the remaining F-16 fighter jets in stock are reportedly ready for immediate support.
However, since the Ukrainian Air Force has been primarily composed of former Soviet-made fighter jets, it is expected that stable fuel and ammunition supply chains and pilot training will need to be secured before these jets can be deployed in actual combat. The prevailing view is that it will be difficult for the support to become an immediate 'game changer' that can turn the tide of the war.
Ukrainian Defense Minister: "Sent a card to Santa asking for fighter jets"
On the 26th (local time), the U.S. political media outlet Politico reported, citing multiple Western military and diplomatic officials, that discussions are underway within Western allied countries about whether to provide fighter jets to Ukraine. A diplomat from a Northern European country, who requested anonymity, stated, "Military support for Ukraine is naturally moving towards fighter jets."
Particularly, attention is focused on whether the long-requested F-16 fighter jet support from the U.S. and Europe will materialize. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov hinted strongly at support expectations in an interview with CNN, saying, "Last year, I sent a card to Santa Claus listing the gifts I wanted, and fighter jets were included."
The F-16 fighter jet, along with the former Soviet Mig-29 and Su-27, is known as a representative 4th generation fighter and is the most widely operated fighter jet worldwide. For Ukraine, which currently lacks available fighter jets, receiving F-16s would greatly help in countering Russian ground attacks as well as bombings.
Some European countries, including the Netherlands and Slovakia, have already indicated that fighter jet support is possible. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra previously told his parliament, "If Ukraine requests, the Netherlands will consider supplying F-16 fighter jets," adding, "We are open and nothing is taboo."
Slovak Foreign Minister Rastislav K??er also announced last month, "The Slovak government is ready to provide former Soviet MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine," and said, "We are discussing this with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO member countries."
As European countries have introduced large numbers of the U.S.'s latest stealth fighter jets, the F-35, which are known as superior models to the F-16, some of the remaining F-16 fighter jets are expected to be available for immediate support to Ukraine.
Immediate 'Game Changer' Status Difficult... Supply and Training Speed Are Key
However, even if F-16 fighter jet support is provided soon, the prevailing view is that it will be difficult for them to become a 'game changer' that can immediately reverse the course of the war. Above all, the Ukrainian Air Force is still mainly composed of former Soviet-made Mig-29 and Su-27 models, so it will take a long time to establish new fuel and ammunition supply systems, and pilot training will be difficult to complete in a short period.
According to CNN, since the outbreak in February last year, most major large air force facilities and runways have been destroyed by Russian airstrikes, and fighter jets mainly take off from small runways. The larger F-16 fighter jets face greater risks during takeoff, and simultaneous sorties are difficult, raising concerns about potential bottlenecks.
Justin Bronk, a senior aviation researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a UK security think tank, told CNN, "Providing F-16 fighter jets alone will not be sufficient for Ukraine to defend against Russia's offensive," adding, "The ground-attack missiles and ammunition for the F-16 are designed for medium to high altitudes rather than low altitudes, and are often blocked by Russian air defense systems such as the S-300 or S-400. For the F-16 to be effectively operated, greater support to achieve air superiority will be necessary."
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