An F-16 fighter plane is flying over Portugal. Source: US Air Force
Comprehensive Compilation Wei Huaming
As one of the representatives of "Made in the United States" in the field of military aircraft, the F-16 fighter has experienced practical tests in the past half century. This aircraft will soon be involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine has high hopes for it, but some retired pilots and military experts from European and American countries believe that Ukraine will become the "most dangerous battlefield" encountered by the F-16 so far in the face of Russia's advanced air defense system and long-range air-to-air missiles.
F-16 has served for 50 years
According to the European version of the US "Politician" website, Ukraine appealed to Western countries to provide F-16 fighters a few weeks after the outbreak of the Russian Ukrainian conflict. Last summer, the United States and European countries reached an agreement and signed an agreement to transfer the F-16. So far, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, four NATO member countries, have agreed to send dozens of such fighters to Ukraine. Equipment handover and training of Ukrainian military pilots are being promoted in the United States and Europe. The first batch of aircraft is expected to arrive in the war zone in June.
According to the website of the Journal of Aerospace Forces of the United States, the acquisition of the F-16 fighter aircraft is the largest technological upgrade in the history of the Ukrainian Air Force. At the beginning of the Russian Ukrainian conflict, the Su-24, Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft used by the Ukrainian army can be traced back to the Soviet period. Compared with them, the F-16 has a more efficient overall layout and stronger electronic warfare capability, and is known for its mobility and flexibility in air combat. If equipped with precision targeting pods and air to ground munitions, the F-16 can also effectively attack ground vehicles and fixed positions.
Since the first prototype flight in 1974, this multi-purpose fighter has participated in many practical operations around the world. In June 1982, Israeli warplanes, including F-16, launched a large-scale air defense suppression (SEAD) operation in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, destroying a large number of Syrian air defense systems and fighter jets within a few hours. In the 1990s, the US Air Force invested hundreds of F-16 in Iraq. During Operation Desert Storm, the aircraft frequently attacked Iraqi airports, missile bases and military facilities. Since then, F-16 has been deployed to the Balkans to participate in NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia, implement air defense suppression, close ground support, and seize air supremacy. According to the data from the "Defense Technology Information Center" under the Pentagon, the US military lost five F-16s in combat operations in the 1990s, which is "insignificant" compared with tens of thousands of attacks.
In the same period, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and other countries also used F-16 in local conflicts. In recent years, the F-16 has carried out missions in Afghanistan and provided support in the process of defeating the "Islamic State".
"This is the most difficult situation it faces"
As the fourth generation fighter with the largest number of equipment of the United States and its allies, the F-16 has been flying in a challenging combat environment since its inception. Nevertheless, many insiders, including retired pilots, warned that, like the advanced weapons and equipment previously provided to Ukraine by the West, the upcoming test of the F-16 was "unprecedented".
John Baum, a retired pilot of the US Air Force, has accumulated more than 2300 hours of flight experience in a variety of aircraft types, including the F-16. Baum, who is now a senior researcher of the US "Mitchell Aerospace Research Institute", said to the US "Business Insider" website that "the F-16 coming to Ukraine will confront the Russian army head-on... This is definitely the most difficult situation it faces".
The open-source intelligence website "Oryx", which tracks the loss of weapons and equipment between Russia and Ukraine, said that since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has lost at least 86 aircraft, highlighting the risk its air force bears. The threats faced by the F-16 in Ukraine include sophisticated land-based air defense systems, Russian warplanes equipped with long-range missiles, and early warning aircraft capable of intercepting targets hundreds of kilometers away.
"(Russia) has countless ways to detect F-16," Brin Tanishir, a defense analyst and retired pilot of the US Navy, told "business insider". He stressed that Russia's air defense capability is more modern than that of its previous rivals; For example, the Russian S-300 and S-400 air defense systems are one or two generations ahead of Syria's air defense systems in the Bekaa Valley.
Tanishir believes that in the past, in Iraq, Syria and other places, F-16 opponents "usually used Soviet made old weapons, not as well trained and well-equipped as the current Russian army".
Western military experts pointed out that the F-16 is a core asset for Ukraine and is bound to become the target of the Russian military. Ukraine has obtained US made anti radiation missiles that can attack enemy radars. However, the old fighter planes of the Ukrainian army are not compatible with western missiles. The F-16 can carry these weapons and can search and target targets more effectively. Baum said that Russia "may have one of the most powerful and advanced integrated air defense systems in the world, and the F-16 can rebuild air situational awareness and provide the battlefield picture to friendly forces. Then, these fighters can use airborne targeting systems and long-range missiles to attack high-value targets".
In Ukraine, the biggest difficulty faced by the F-16 is related to geospatial. Baum said that Ukraine's F-16 will immediately enter the range of Russia's surface to air missiles after takeoff, and cannot use neutral territory to safely approach the operational airspace as Western fighters do. Ukrainian pilots will find that "they were targeted before executing the tactics".
Strange battlefield may lead to new tactics
In Ukraine, the F-16 needs to find the right role.
In terms of defense, it can add an air defense network to the Ukrainian army. In recent months, Ukraine's air defense capability has been stretched to the limit due to the decreasing reserve of key ammunition.
At present, there are two American made air-to-air missiles AIM-9 and AIM-120 in Ukraine's arsenal, which can be directly equipped to the F-16 to intercept Russian attack drones, cruise missiles, glide bombs and even heavy bombers. This will help to share the pressure for the Ukrainian air defense system and allow the latter to make more reasonable use of high-value equipment such as "Patriot" missiles.
Recently, Ukraine has taken more and more frequent actions against Russia's air defense and early warning capabilities. According to the analysis of "business insider", this may pave the way for the arrival of the F-16.
In March this year, the British Ministry of Defense said that after the loss of two A-50 early warning aircraft, Moscow temporarily grounded the same type of aircraft. In mid April, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency announced that the use of tactical ballistic missiles provided by the United States had hit the S-400 anti-aircraft missile launcher and guidance radar deployed by the Russian army in Crimea.
Tanishir accordingly pointed out that "Ukraine is trying to weaken Russia's ability to detect aerial targets. This may be a sign that at least some of its actions... are preparations for subsequent reception and effective use of F-16."
Other early deployments aimed at welcoming US made fighter planes have also been launched in Ukraine. The Ukrainian RBC website quoted Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for the country's air force, as saying that the military is elaborately making plans to ensure the safety of the F-16 during its stay on the ground, "including the construction of underground aircraft bunkers, which is expensive". Yevlash also said that Ukraine intends to spread these American made fighters to different bases, making it more difficult for rivals to find them.
Source: China Youth Daily client
