Fighters like the F-16 or MiG-29 can change a war, which is why Ukraine would like to have them. But how do they work and what are the differences between them?
(DW) When cornering, the pressure of the body against the seat is enormous. Only people with the highest level of physical fitness can withstand it. In addition, special pants must be worn to allow blood to circulate in the legs and prevent the pilot from losing consciousness. The flight rarely has a speed of less than 900 km/h.
“The acceleration is breathtaking.” This is how former German Air Force pilot Joachim Vergin describes the sensation of flying a fighter jet. Perhaps it’s comparable to riding a roller coaster – but with forces twice as great, if not more.
It’s a complex challenge, which also involves knowing how to use a wide range of weapons. Fighting, dodging, defending yourself. In the event of trouble, it’s always a matter of life and death – and often at the speed of sound.
Strong engine and weapons
Recently, the United States authorized the shipment of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine that belong to Denmark and the Netherlands (American authorization is required because these planes are produced in the country). However, the long-running debate on the subject has been going on for months, and also involves other models, such as the MiG-29. But which one would be the most suitable?
Jet fighters were first used at the end of the Second World War. With their engines, they flew much faster than the propeller planes used until then.
A jet engine works as follows: air is sucked into the propeller and compressed. Fuel is then sprayed into the now highly compressed air and ignited.
As a result, the air is pushed “extremely strongly” out of the engine, as Robert Kluge, an aviation expert at the Deutsches Museum in Bonn, Germany, explains. This air then pushes against resistance, either the runway or the surrounding air, accelerating the aircraft.
Fighters can attack targets both in the air and on the ground. For air battles, they are equipped with air-to-air missiles, which can be launched during flight and destroy targets that are also flying. For ground targets, they use air-to-ground projectiles or free-fall bombs, Leonhard Houben, a historian at the Berlin-Gatow Military History Museum, told DW.
At the time of construction, aspects such as whether the intention is to use them to fight other aircraft – and whether they can fight back – or whether the plan is to attack targets on the ground, are taken into account. These strategic considerations are also important when using the technology. Does the plane have to be light and fast for air combat or does it have to be equipped with large fuel tanks for longer flights?
MiG: agile and light
The MiG-29, one of the planes being considered for deployment in Ukraine, entered service with a very clear objective: to protect the Warsaw Pact’s borders against NATO fighters. This means that this interceptor, which entered service in 1983, can take off and reach its target quickly.
Due to its design, the MiG-29 is extremely maneuverable in air combat: it can even stay vertically in the air for short periods of time. However, its initial version carried little fuel to save weight.
F-16: all-rounder
Most modern fighters combine a variety of capabilities. According to Houben, it is more economical to build so-called multi-mission combat aircraft because they can be manufactured in large numbers on just one production line.
The F-16 is one of these mass-produced multi-role fighters. It was developed in the US in the 1970s to be sold to partner nations as a low-cost multi-role jet. The F-16 is the current jet fighter with the most units in operation in the world. It is still produced in the US and is constantly being improved.
Houben says that undoubtedly “the F-16s built 20 years ago are on a par with Russian jets built three or five years ago”. One of the reasons is that the development of fighter jet technology came to a halt in Russia in the 1990s and many talented people emigrated.
The role of weapons
In addition to technology, weapons are crucial. Without it, an airplane is just “a shell, like a fire truck without a magirus ladder,” compares Kluge. Like other experts, he is convinced that if the aircraft are delivered to Ukraine, they will be equipped with a modern weapons package, because only then will the Ukrainians be able to use them to protect their airspace.
Unlike anti-aircraft missiles that are fired from the ground, jet aircraft are highly mobile and can therefore protect larger areas and shoot down cruise missiles with air-to-air projectiles. Houben, however, sees Hollywood-style air combat between Russian and Ukrainian planes as unlikely, since modern aircraft attack each other from great distances, without being in close contact.
It’s a bit like tank warfare: he who shoots first and hits, wins. Modern air-to-air missiles, once launched, sneak up on the target and appear on the radar just before impact. It’s often too late to avoid the explosion. There is usually little room for twists and turns, machine-gun fire and things that commonly appear in movies.
Training takes years
However, a fighter pilot must also be capable of hand-to-hand combat if all the missiles are fired. In other words, they need to be able to multitask in extreme conditions. That’s why pilots don’t graduate overnight: for the Eurofighter used in Germany, training takes five to six years and costs 5 million euros per pilot.
On his first flight, former pilot Joachim Vergin had a major problem: one of the engines failed. Although he was very scared, he was able to react thanks to the exercises he had undergone, remained calm and landed safely.
Often a pilot learns to fly only one type of fighter and retraining for another takes a long time. When Vergin made the transition from the Phantom model to the Tornado, he had to prepare for seven months.
Jet as myth
In war, however, fighter jets are more than the sum of their technical capabilities. Kluge describes the airplane as a “myth” because, unlike humans, it can also move up and down.
A jet fighter can be seen as a symbol that can boost troop morale. And its mere presence can make enemies think twice before venturing to attack a country.
*** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI Team ***