The Ukrainian Air Forces could soon be flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the skies over the occupied territories, as US President Joe Biden has supported its transfer by European countries to the Russian-invaded country.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-purpose fighter developed by the American company General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin). It is a light, agile fighter designed to perform a variety of missions, including air superiority, ground attack, interdiction, reconnaissance, and close air support.
The F-16 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1979 and was subsequently adopted by several nations around the world. It has become one of the most widely used and successful fighters in history, with more than 4,600 units produced. The aircraft is also known as the “Viper” due to its resemblance to the rattlesnake, as well as being called the “Fighting Falcon”.
One of the distinguishing features of the F-16 is its single-engine configuration, which makes it lighter and more maneuverable compared to many twin-engine fighters. It features a delta wing, a compact fuselage, and a highly efficient aerodynamic design. The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 or General Electric F110 jet engine, which provide exceptional performance in terms of speed and climbing ability.
The F-16 is highly maneuverable and has a fly-by-wire electronic flight control system, which means that the pilot’s commands are transmitted electronically to the aircraft’s control systems rather than via mechanical cables. This feature makes the aircraft more agile and responsive.
The aircraft has a wide variety of armaments, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, bombs, and rockets. It can also be equipped with a 20mm cannon for close-range combat. In addition, the F-16 can be equipped with external pods that provide additional capabilities such as laser target designation, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.
Over the years, the F-16 has undergone several upgrades and variants, enhancing its capabilities. Some of the notable variants include the F-16C/D Block 50/52, F-16E/F Block 60, and the F-16V (Viper), the latter being a cockpit and systems upgrade to older versions of the F-16.
Note: American pilots also refer to the F-16 by the nickname “Viper”. This nickname is derived from the aircraft’s resemblance to the rattlesnake, known as “viper” in English. The name “Viper” is widely used as a more informal and shortened way to refer to the F-16 Fighting Falcon among pilots and aviation enthusiasts.
How the F-16 can boost Ukraine’s capability for a War Victory
Remarks by General Mark Milley
The F-16 is a supersonic fighter, developed in the 1970s in the United States, that reaches a speed of 1,235 kilometers per hour. However, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs General, Mark Milley, recently stated that it would not be a “magic weapon.”
Russia has the advantage
“The Russians have 1,000 fourth-generation fighters,” General Milley told reporters at the Pentagon after finishing a virtual meeting with the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group.
Gaining Air Superiority
Milley explained that to gain air superiority in the face of Russia, Ukraine would need many fourth and fifth generation fighters.
The Smart Move
For him, the smartest thing Ukraine’s allies could have done was exactly what they did: provide the right air defense weapons.
Two Key Features
In a conversation with PBS News Hour’s Amna Nawaz, retired Lieutenant General Doug Lut explained that there were two capabilities that the F-16 could provide to Ukrainian forces.
On the offensive side
“First of all, on the offensive side, it would provide precision close air support to ground troops,” Lut said.
Reclaiming territory
He also added that this would be very important to regain territory lost in future Ukrainian offensives.
Deep fire attacks
“The second thing that [the F-16] can do on the offensive side is to provide deep fires,” Lut continued. In other words, the weapon would give Ukraine the ability to get beyond enemy lines.
It could hit command centers
Thus, according to Lut, the Ukrainians could hit important Russian command and control centers, as well as key headquarters and logistics sites, in places they currently cannot reach, such as Crimea and the Black Sea.
Defensive side
On the defensive side, F-16s could be used to counter unmanned aircraft, but would be much more useful against targets such as cruise missiles aimed at infrastructure.
The F-16 could make a difference
“So on both the offensive and defensive sides, the F-16 can really make a difference,” Lut explained, although he acknowledged that it would take months before the weapon could be used.
No head-to-head battles
Where we wouldn’t see F-16 fighters making a difference would be in head-to-head exchanges with Russia’s more modern air defense systems, such as the S-400, according to Business Insider.
Ukraine Needs to Get Creative
In an interview for that site, the Executive Director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Douglas Birkey, noted that the Ukrainians would likely have to get creative with their new fighters to see real results on the battlefield.
Against a wall
“Ukraine’s back is against a wall. They cannot win in a ground-centric war of attrition,” Birkey explained, adding that Russia “would eventually win this fight and bleed Ukraine dry.”
Breaking the stalemate
Birkey also said that the F-16 could break the stalemate on the ground, but then noted that for the aircraft to be effective, the Ukrainian Air Force would need to adopt a very specific set of tactics that could exploit the vulnerabilities of Russian air defenses.
A mixed strategy
“No one is advocating that Ukraine fly F-16s blindly against Russian defenses. Effective use of air power requires a mix of strategy, tactics, capability and technology to achieve the desired effects,” Birkey said.
We’ll have to wait and see
He further noted that unmanned aircraft could be used to overwhelm defenses, giving Ukraine’s F-16s the opportunity to hit their targets.
