States have produced more than 4,600 of these aircraft, their mass production continues
Photo: EASTERN NEWS
1. What is this “bird” – F-16?
The American F-16 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter. Due to its lightness and maneuverability, it received the name Fighting Falcon (“attacking falcon”). The fighters of this series form the basis of the military park of the United States and other Western countries. Adopted in 1978. The machine turned out to be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to maintain. In the West, the F-16 is considered the best among similar aircraft. It has a powerful engine and a good traction-to-weight ratio.
The states have produced more than 4600 of these aircraft, their mass production continues.
F-16 is a fourth generation multirole fighter.
Photo: REUTERS
Military file “KP”
The main performance characteristics of the F-16.
Crew – 1 person;
Maximum speed – 2145 km / h;
Flight range – 4000 km;
The maximum flight altitude is 18,000 meters;
Combat radius: from 1361 to 1759 km.
Maximum take-off weight – from 17 to 21 tons;
The total weight of the combat load is 5.42 tons.
Armament:
Air-to-air missiles.
Air-to-surface missiles.
20 mm six-barreled gun with 511 cartridges.
Pumps: adjustable adjustable group, free fall.
kyiv needs F-16 fighters to establish at least relative parity in the air
Photo: EASTERN NEWS
Defects
The main drawback of the F-16 is an engine. The impact of a missile (even low-power) or a “beam” of striking elements on an aircraft disappears. The pilot is forced to leave the car, to eject.
In addition, the American “Falcon” is noticeably inferior in speed to more modern twin-engine fighters.
2. Why did Zelensky beg NATO for these planes?
kyiv needs F-16 fighters to establish at least relative parity in the air. The Russian Air Force in the sky over the NWO zone now has almost complete superiority. And this does not allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to carry out a long-standing and widely publicized “counteroffensive”. Zelensky is begging for NATO F-16s also because it will not be a big loss for the bloc to transfer several dozen such aircraft to Kiev. Moreover, in the arsenal of NATO countries (even excluding Turkey and the United States) , about 500 of these combat fighters.
Zelensky’s emphasis on the F-16 is clearly being driven by both Ukrainian and Western military advisers.
The American “Falcon” has a combat flight radius (depending on refueling and payload weight) of up to 1,700 km, and the distance from the borders of Poland to Russian Donetsk is about 1,000 km.
The main disadvantage of the F-16 is an engine.
Photo: EASTERN NEWS
3. How many Holland and Denmark can give such fighters? And won’t this just be a signal to start deliveries from other NATO countries?
The Netherlands looks set to become the first country to send American fighter jets to kyiv.
According to the latest data, the Air Force of this state has more than 50 combat-ready F-16s, Denmark has about the same number. Together they will deliver fifty F-16s to kyiv. Well, in order to avoid complaints about the “disarmament” of the air forces of these countries, the United States promises to provide them with new F-35s in return – next-generation aircraft.
However, supplies to kyiv are likely to be made in small batches. NATO probably understands that sending 50 combat aircraft to Ukraine “en masse” will lead to the fact that all of them can be destroyed by Russian air defense missiles. But the supply of “portions” of 10-12 combat aircraft and “scattering” them over various military airfields still somehow guarantee safety (and even then, for the time being, until they are detected by ground, air or space intelligence Russian).
The probability of additional deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine from other NATO countries is also quite high. Especially considering that combat aircraft of other types (mainly still Soviet) have been supplied to Ukraine for a long time. Poland even created a kind of air hub, where the former Warsaw Pact countries flew their Su-24, MiG-29 or Su-27.
The F-16 fighter requires an experienced pilot to fight enemy aircraft in the air, and Ukraine does not yet have such specialists.
Photo: EASTERN NEWS
4. Does Ukraine have pilots for this? How much to teach them? And the Polish-Americans etc. will be in command?
Yes, Ukraine has military pilots trained to “work” on fighter jets. True, the level of their professional skills is very different. There are those who participated in the battles, there are also completely green, “who did not smell gunpowder.” About 40 of them are now undergoing F-16 training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. If the Americans drive them out completely, this will take more than a year. First, 350 hours of theory, then 60 hours – simulators, then training in working with weapons in the sky (another 20 hours) and, at the end, “dogfight” – an imitation of a real fight with an American ace. But problems have already arisen: American instructors complain that their Ukrainian pupils are “stupid” in terms of the English language. This is the reason why the training program fails. And the American mentors of the Ukrainians admit that even after a year of training, the F-16 pilots will come out “raw.” To become a professional, you need not 50, but 150-200 flight hours with the performance of tasks close to a real combat situation. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that well-trained American, Polish, Danish or Dutch pilots are in some F-16 wing to bite with the Ukrainians.
In addition, it has already been reported in the US press that pilots from US private airlines, such as Airborne Tactical Advantage Company or Draken International, can land on the F-16, whose pilots have experience flying some types of these machines.
But there are also such judgments: they say that both Europe and the United States will not throw their experienced pilots into the sky of Ukraine, where they will have to face not only various Russian air defense systems, but also experienced Russian pilots who have an astronomical number of sorties, and many also went through the Syrian military company.
The F-16 fighter requires an experienced pilot to fight enemy aircraft in the air, and Ukraine does not yet have such specialists. Those rare Ukrainian pilots who appear in the NVO zone on the MiG-29, in full view of the Russian MiG-31 or SU-27, try to avoid “air fighting”.
It has already flashed in the American press that pilots from private airlines can be planted in the F-16
Photo: EASTERN NEWS
5. Where can these F-16s be based?
Our military experts believe that the base airfields for such aircraft will be in Poland, Romania or Slovakia. Because? It is empty. As close to the battlefield as possible. Given the radius of combat capabilities. In addition, all these airfields have long been covered by air defense systems. Of course, a part of the F-16 will hide in the camouflaged hangars of Ukrainian airfields. In missile strikes against some of them (Starokonstantinov, Zhuliany), we recently practiced with a thick track, so to speak.
6. Does Russia have ways to neutralize this threat?
Let’s immediately rule out such a “method” as missile and bomb attacks on Polish, Romanian or Slovak airfields where F-16s can be based. This will be a “royal gift” for NATO, which will immediately consider such attacks as an attack on the bloc and will receive reasons to attack Russia with all its “terrorist collective farms.” OK, what happened? Will the F-16s armed with rockets and bombs calmly take off from Polish, Romanian or Slovak airfields, attack our positions and turn back? And here the first method suggests itself – with the help of Russian fighters, it is necessary to meet the air vultures already on the border with Ukraine. Put up a barrier. Another way is to keep enemy aircraft at gunpoint in our S-300, S-400, S-500, S-350 air defense systems. And, of course, on other borders – to put into operation the complexes “Tor”, “Buk”, “Osa”, “Pantsyr” and, in addition, other mobile or portable anti-aircraft missile systems.
7. How will the “buildup” of the F-16 affect the course of the NWO?
Of course, the more F-16s in the sky over Ukraine, the more intensively we will have to use the “antidote” – air defense systems and fighters. This will be a serious air confrontation, for which we must prepare today. The recent arrival of a batch of the latest Russian fighters and air defense systems in the service of the Russian Aerospace Forces is a sure sign that such training is already underway. US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently admitted that arming Kiev with fighter jets is a priority for Washington, but the F-16s still won’t be able to fundamentally turn the tide on the battlefield.
8. And if the F-16 and our MiG-31 converge in the sky of Ukraine, who is cooler?
During the operation, our aircraft has undergone many modifications that have changed its combat qualities beyond recognition. Now the Russian Aerospace Forces have more than 500 MiG-31 units.
The MiG-31 fighter has a more powerful six-barreled 23mm gun compared to the F-16 with its 20mm. However, the American fighter has one and a half times more ammunition in 511 shells.
The American F-16 is equipped only with short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles capable of hitting targets up to 100 km, while the Russian MiG-31 has four long-range R-60M guided missiles.
The F-16 has a rather modest top supersonic speed of 2,178 km/h at an altitude of 12,200 meters, unlike the MiG-31, which can reach speeds of 3,600 km/h with a flight ceiling of 21,500 meters. Practical ceiling height F-16 – 15,240 meters.
The Russian MiG-31 has a combat radius (round trip) of 720 km, without additional fuel tanks, and the F-16, with the “Block 50” modification and higher, can fly 1565 km with additional fuel tanks. .
The practical range (only there) of the F-16 is 4472 km with add-ons. tanks, and the MiG-31 with additional ones. tanks in 3000 km. However, the Russian fighter jet can refuel in the air, increasing its range to 5,000 km.
The new modifications of the MiG-31 are armed with the Kinzhal (air-to-surface) aeroballistic missile with a range of more than 2000 km, and the F-16 can be equipped with AGM-65 Maverick tactical air-to-surface missiles. . With an autonomy… 30 kilometers.
The NATO fighter has a low speed compared to our heavy Su-27 of any modification. Such a modest speed leaves little chance of a collision in the sky with the Russian Aerospace Forces.
And besides, the absence of long-range air-to-air missiles on board the F-16 does not allow it to hit targets at great distances. And if, again, we take into account that this plane, under the “supervision” of our air defense, will fly into the NVO zone from Poland, Romania or Slovakia, it will have a lot of “chances” not to return home …
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