One would have to feel sorry for the pilots, even an experienced NATO F-16 pilot would be shitting bricks operating in that environment against an array of ordnance designed to take the aircraft out from all angles and altitudes.
The F16 needs ~17 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight. It requires regular inspections, repairs, and replacements to ensure that it remains safe and reliable in the air. I'm sure there was a huge effort to get everything in place to operate these jets.
That's total labor hours combined, including preventative checks (i.e., checking fluid levels). 15 hours split between 5 maintainers is 3 hours per flight hour, and even then what the paper says the time spent on a task should be and the time taken actually doing it can be very different.
@@nonpartisangunowner4524 👍Understand, and quite agree. Only made the comment to emphasise that a lot of support is required, as many people would not know that. 😎
With the weapons they’ve got atm, they won’t actively engage in fights with Russian jets. Btw a ‘fight’ would not be a dog fight but shouting missiles at the enemy from say 50km or more.
2 F-16s in Israeli hands out classed and annihilated 30 Russian aircraft from Arab nations. American technology far outstrips Russian and Chinese capabilities. Don't get too proud of your outdated capabilities. Remember this: it is a bit cynical but true. America is patiently testing its old capabilities against Russia's best. If anything turns badly America and western Europe will test run their newest tech which out strips Russian capabilities by decades. And all of this without expending NATO lives. Russia has been foolish enough to create a modern warfare test ground for anything that NATO, western Europe and other allied nations want to try out at Russia's expense. Damn fool move on Putin's part.
@@mraviatorboii2510They will get 79 F16s. They have 10 now and will get another 10 this year (supplied by the Netherlands) the rest will follow next year. I’m not sure Ukraine has the crews to fly 79 F16s atm btw. The F16s will hunt Russian cruse missiles and they will keep MIG34s with glide bombs further away from the frontlines.
@@mraviatorboii2510 80 F-16s have already been pledged and Greece says it has another 30 they would give once they receive their F-35s. It’s not a shortage of aircraft that’s the problem now, it’s a shortage of trained pilots. On top of that you need trained maintenance crews and safe airfields. Good news is the pilots and crews are on the way. 🇺🇦
Over 4,600 F-16s have been built since then. The airplane has been used by more than 25 air forces around the world. Putin and RuZSkis will be sure that Ukraine will become more and more F16
@@aleserban9322 So, defending your country ,become genocide in our days.?! Thank you for your wisdom...How much land, children's and infrastructure have to give up Ukraine, voluntarily to russia ,for you to be happy ? Or to be "peace" ? If he would flee the country in feb. 2022, you or any of your socialists and communists friends, would guarantee that would be no GENOCIDE on occupied Ukraine ?
The pilots are just one part of the "system". Fighter jets require a lot of infrastructure and trained support staff to maintain the jets and keep them fit to operate.
@@Cecil-yc6mc I don't think the Ukrainian F-16s will use Polish airfields as bases for attack missions. This would put Poland in a problematic position. However, they may use those bases for maintenance support. IMO.
Reactivation is key. It's never too late to sign up to be a pilot. Also, make sure the old F-16 trainers, crews, and former pilots get a generous rebate for returning to the field. Finally, get labourers onto the lines to refurbish these birds. :)
people dont understand that the F16s given to Ukraine are very old and do not even have the electronics suite to use missiles that would give them a chance against Russia. No point explaining though... I've been posting and all I get is people convinced the F16 is next ghost of Ukraine. Reality is the F16 has no chance against Russian jets or against S300/S400.
Basically, these jets need NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine to maintain, repair and to protect these assets and to make them effective. NATO doesn’t have a strategy in Ukraine other than to supply Ukraine with an eclectic array of weapons and using Ukrainians as bodies to fight. NATO is hoping that Russia will run out of money before it does. But they seem to underestimate the tenacity and the will of Russia to fight.
Ukraine is not a NATO member country. What NATO wants most of all is peace and avoid conflict with Russia around the borders but not supporting Ukraine will be even more dangerous because Russia will be motivated to attack more countries, like Moldavia.
Well, how to say, the Russian Federation still has a lot of equipment in storage, as well as quite good Military-industrial complex, I think the Russian Federation will hold out for a very long time
It is not just a matter of flying. It takes years of training to operate a combat system as complex as the F16. Then, there is the issue of maintenance and logistics. Also, weapons integrations, what weapons can these aircraft actually deploy, etc etc etc. not all of these F16’s are actually up to the latests standards, so, they cannot all carry up to date weapons. Then, consider that nowhere in Ukraine is out of range of the Russians.
@@APW-ry2ok no. There are still many restrictions on where Ukraine may use NATO weapons. The few drones that Ukraine manages routinely slip through are insignificant. Have you looked at a map? Have you seen just how big Russia is? Russia c an move its strategic forces completely out of range, and it will simply make their missions longer. Ukraine cannot come near those bases.
@@phelansa23 Every part of Russia would be at risk if the USA allowed the use of long range weapons ,come to that if Germany grew a spine and supplied the TAURUS Russia would feel the heat. Russia has lost it just won’t accept it until it’s on it knees,it has numerous sanctions and a 18% interest rate . And using golf carts and motorbikes on the front line is not a winning strategy.
@@APW-ry2ok those are some rather important “IF’s” you have there. I will give you another one. If Trump was president, rather than Biden…… Putin would never have invaded Ukraine. I am not a Trump supporter, I am not even American. I just believe that Putin waited for Biden to come to power before he moved. That aside, unless NATO sends pilots, and remove the restrictions on NATO weapons, Russia will keep advancing. F16’s non withstanding.
@@phelansa23 Crimea is the key ,my guess the bridge will be down soon ,this will put pressure on Russia as Crimea will be made untenable this puts Putin in a check position .We will see once the F16s start playing their part. Have no doubt Russia will crumble with the tactics Ukraine is using crippling oil refineries ,airfields ,command posts etc.Whilst Putin goes for children’s cancer hospitals….
did your Russian tanks and tankers enjoy the anti-tank weapons from the West? more than 3200 destroyed Russian tanks (visually confirmed by OSINT. was *that* game-changing enough for you? LOL
The F-16s may not end the game, but they're game-changers all right. Russia has been forced to change its tactics many times over, whenever new Western weapons made their entrance. And nothing ever changed for the better for Russia.
They want 300, at least. First of all, there are no more than 80 or so available. The rest should come from the USA or bought new. They are still being produced. And Ukraine does not have 600 pilots, let alone 600 that can fly F16.
Why wouldnt they be. Russia was considered the #2 military power on the planet and ukraine has been able to hold them off for years inflicting massive casualties and equipment losses... if that isnt worthy a worhty ally i dont know who is. They have shown the world russia is a ill equipped and trained militarily force and proved westren foghting standards all while modernizing the war warfare is waged...
If the opportunity ever comes for you to sit in the seat of an F-16, do it! The 16 was the first fly-by-wire Fighter produced, an incredible jump forward in AC technology then. Cheers
@@AlexVNL Ukraine still needs training, maintenance and spare parts in order to fly these F-16s. That’s how the military industrial complex makes money.
What makes the difference are the Swedish AWACS, which are supplied to support the F-16. From there, the targets are acquired, the F-16's missiles are programmed, etc. The Russians will not know who or what hit them, while the F-16 is already on its way back without even activating the radar.
@@paulthomas-hh2kv Ivans won't fly to shoot down these Turkeys. Ivans are good at air defence system. they are notoriously known for their Air defense system.
people dont want to hear realities of this. They want to believe the Ghost of Kiev will be flying every F16 into victory. Reality is they will have no real impact and might even get taken out before flying.
To late and to few. This war is into its third year and Russia is well entrenched in the East. A handful of F-16’s won’t do anything but prolong the cinflict.
Ukraine would need at least 200 F16 to materially change the present air power disparity. What they are doing now is sending more brave young men to an untimely death. This is very sad.
What truth is there? Russia wants to conquer Ukraine, so Russia planned this war, started it and keeps waging it, because due to being a dictatorship Russia can afford to throw any number of its citizens into the meat grinder.
Primarily about money. The trillions in resources of Ukraine are going to be taken by someone. NATO wanted it and so did Russia. Guess who is winning. Oil, grain and lithium... winner becomes much stronger for the future. Ukraine loses regardless. just fighting to see who gets to take Ukraine wealth. THAT... is the reality of this war.
Expectations are thru the roof for the F16s but reality is far different. When I soloed on the road to get my pilot license many years ago, my instructor told me something I still remember all these years later. He told me soloing was just the beginning and warned me it would be a long journey to become a skilled pilot. These 6 pilots are the equivalent of just soloing in the F16s. To master them, takes many years and hundreds if not thousands of hours of stick time. They are not going to be even close to ready for real combat. To rush them just means they will be shot down quickly. Either by far more skilled Russian pilots or by air defenses. Putting low skill pilots in an F16 would be like taking someone who drives a mustang in a formular race car. Yes they could probably drive it around the racetrack but would be beat badly by a skilled formula racecar driver.
@@Cecil-yc6mc Russia is going against Ukrainian pilots and compared to Ukraine... Russian pilots are vastly more experienced. Honestly, the low flight time pilots who were able to be cleared to fly the F16s would have zero chance in combat. An F16 is a complex aircraft and you don't just fly a hundred hours and call yourself an expert. It takes years go gain skill.
@@KairiAmane-s7t I don't want to be too critical of your comments and do appreciate you taking the time to respond. I will just say this... the F16s could help Ukraine. In order for them to really help though, they have to fly sorties every day. Currently, they are just flying over a large city doing nothing but an airshow of sorts. While it may lift moral, Ukraine loses territory every day and they need something more than a moral boost. If Ukraine cannot go on the offensive, there is no way to win. The recent offensive of 300 troops and a few tanks plus maybe 20 or 30 armed vehicles got wiped out by Russia. Not a good use of weapons or manpower to charge into Russia and get wiped out so quickly. Ukraine really lacks leadership. That is the reason they are losing this war. Zelensky has no clue what he is doing and Ukraine is suffering because of his weakness.
Most of these so-called experts hardly ever say anything that most people didn't already know or had not already thought about. They look at publicly disclosed data and try to draw conclusion and give predictions. A good knowledge of history is a much better source of nuance good long-term predictions than just looking at the current situation trying to make guesses. That's why I find historians much more insightful than these "experts", "analysts", "commentators" etc etc.
Pour info, la Belgique mon pays a promis de donner à l'Ukraine 30 F-16 d'ici 2028.... Fort bien mais il faut savoir que ces F-16 sont déjà en fin de vie et qu'ils seront totalement dépassés en 2029... En fait on donne à l'Ukraine nos vieilles armes pour ne pas devoir supporter le coût de leur démantèlement...
Growing an Air Force for war is not a new venture that never happened in world history. In numerous cases it starts slowly then a critical mass occurs. Likely Ukraine wont be the exception. The reason for making F16 great for Ukraine is it’s still a production a/c. Making it a a/c that won’t be obsolete in couple decades unlike the F18 & few other European a/c. With that said it’s likely few years before daily multi sorties can be sustained by Ukraine. Question is how many of the training squadrons will return to actively training pilots. They shut down one of Southwest squadron. They had two squadrons which trained Taiwanese & Singaporean pilots.
Incredible waste of time and money on what is basicly a PR stunt. 3rd generation unstealthy wornout airframes with limited numbers and undertrained crews on the ground and in the air The money would have been far better spent on frontline soldiers, night vision, thermal underwear etc.
@@carl94-h9h The F-16s _are_ long range artillery as it were. Air-launched stand-off weapons will reach further than surface-launched ones. That's how the Russians predominantly use their combat aircraft nowadays.
Okay so why is the mighty soviet, I mean russian air force so useless at present? and how do you think that changes with these 'wornout' birds in the air? Let's wait and see. Thermal underwear. That will make the difference 🤠👌
79-95 F-16 are promised to Ukraine although 10 are supposed to be shipped as spare parts not active aircrafts by the aforementioned countries not 60 jets, plus possible additional 32 by Greece
2 pilots required to a operate SINGLE SEAT fighter ....is one pilot supposed to sit in the others lap....🤔🤦...maybe next time have on an "expert" who actually knows what they are talking about....
@@livewiyaYes, but even those can be operated single pilot and are typically only used for training, the majority of the jets Ukraine will be operating will be single seat, ie like the two Zelensky was speaking in front of.
@@Aviationlvr with no ability to provide air to air refueling, their flights are going to be fairly short time wise, pilot rest is going to be their least of their concerns.... Hopefully the jets are able to help a bit, time will tell....
@@dberaupilotThe Ukrainians don’t have to fly any long distance to require air refueling. With that said, the jets need a system to support, maintain and protect them. Something that the Ukrainian military doesn’t have.
@@Cecil-yc6mc they will encounter Russian air defense, there will be little chance, most likely the F-16 will face the fate of the Abrams and leopards
@@Rutil3487 Given that these are two completely different weapon systems, no. The F16 will be equipped with HARMS. Besides, given all the drones that seem to get by the Russian air defense, I wouldn't worry. Russian personnel probably stole some copper wiring to exchange for vodka.
Reading the comments - I see lots of negative opinions about these F-16's, you are all wrong. They will make a huge difference. Even 10 of them will make a huge difference
_I heard what sounded like some very smart Russians say the F-16s would not help Ukraine at all, so my feeling now is that we should just surrender and not even try._ - j q t -
You are just fooling yourself. The F16s they got are older versions. No ability to use the best long range missiles so against a Russian jet or even in range of the S300/S400... F16s lose every time. Not bashing them just speaking truth to stop all the false hope.
لأوكرانيا طيارون كثر لنفس طويل للتدريب و حفظ F-16 .هذا دليل على ان الحق لأمريكا لمن تعطي و تبيع أسلحتها و بالأخص طائراتها العسكرية. امريكا و سلعة امريكا لا نظير لها ،انها تسبح في تكنولوجيا المعلومات بالكمّ .ربنا معك .
It's time to accept the war is totally lost for Ukraine. To many are dying and the Russians continue to take and consolidate land. If Ukraine makes peace now maybe they can still save some of the country and spare their peoples lives and a situation of unconditional surrender. Praying for Ukraine. ❤
@olivierfaber8478 What you are talking about are old stock videos of Dutch F-16 , those are filmed in Romania , those are not the ones Ukraine showed on TV , I know they are danish because they don't have the tail parachute like , the ones from Belgium, Norway or Holland .Obviously I was referring to the ones with Ukrainian markings, why would I call danish , planes with Dutch markings on? So there is no maybe , no tail chute , 100 % from Danmark
You just watch the Power of this 60 years old plane is a awesome combat plane and its just in time before the upcoming harsh winter weather will have no affect on this plane
Ukraine fights and holds off russia for multiple years inflicting massive casualties and still holding a vast proportion of their land..... yes thats called a win.
@@leviwalker7385 Right, it's US thinking that wars far away from their country are needed for their hegemonial interests. The longer the better... But not European interest and not European thinking !
Nope, they are just getting 30-50 year old kit from the American military junkdrawer while that money stays in the US. Example: Ukraine gets 5 F16s, the US makes 2 F35s. Granted the Americans aren't supplying F16s, but I imagine you get that picture. Besides 5% of the US def budget for a single year did what $40T over the course of the Cold War couldn't do.
But like the analyst said, you also need airfields, maintenance and repairs, fuel, weapons and the defense systems to protect these assets. Basically, in order to make these jets effective, you’d need NATO forces on the ground in Ukraine.
As Ukraine is now drafting men, there should be constant testing of possible pilots and being sent to train on these in those countries that have been training them already. The F-16's still on the way will need experienced pilots who knows every aspect of their jets to make them more efficient and effective.
As a layperson, why would you believe that Ukrainian pilots are flying F-16s rather than those from the United States or a trusted NATO nation? F-16 is difficult to manage due to the complexity claims.
Analyst said they received 2-seater F16s and could only fly 10 at a time. But the F16s Zelensky stands in front of, with Ukraine Emblem on the tail, are both single seat!
Ukraine has alot of pilot's but they arent used to westren planes. These are very capable pilots the problem is a familiarization with a new weapon system with if this war has tought us anything the Ukrainians are superbly adapt and will learn in no time, just like all the other platforms they have been given.
The U.S. should grant Ukraine enough money so Ukraine can hire enough skilled European or American F-16 fighter pilots and support personnel to fly at least 2, maybe more, squadrons for Ukraine. 🤨
One would have to feel sorry for the pilots, even an experienced NATO F-16 pilot would be shitting bricks operating in that environment against an array of ordnance designed to take the aircraft out from all angles and altitudes.
The F16 needs ~17 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight. It requires regular inspections, repairs, and replacements to ensure that it remains safe and reliable in the air. I'm sure there was a huge effort to get everything in place to operate these jets.
@@maxhugen It takes time for the Ukrainians to master the F-16-related things.
That's total labor hours combined, including preventative checks (i.e., checking fluid levels). 15 hours split between 5 maintainers is 3 hours per flight hour, and even then what the paper says the time spent on a task should be and the time taken actually doing it can be very different.
@nonpartisangunowner4524 & then in the middle of maintenance, the unannounced arrival of the X-Calibre......
@@josiahwanjiku9187 Is that related to the Kalibr cruise missiles that Ukraine have been shooting down?
@@nonpartisangunowner4524 👍Understand, and quite agree. Only made the comment to emphasise that a lot of support is required, as many people would not know that. 😎
Zelensky's English has gotten so much better, very impressive considering everything else he has going on. Can't wait to read his memoir.
😂😂😂😂
$3.5 million is what his wife spent on a new car.
They live like kings off this war...
@@Dot-he2ke Do not LIE Ivan
I think you will have to wait for that, he survived 10+ assassination attempts in Feb 2022
@@Dot-he2kehow much did they spend on your 6mo old account?
Flying the plane is one thing, survive in combat is another thing. Good luck to the pilots that is going to take the planes into combat.
With the weapons they’ve got atm, they won’t actively engage in fights with Russian jets.
Btw a ‘fight’ would not be a dog fight but shouting missiles at the enemy from say 50km or more.
@@Conservator. Fine, so the pilots will have a longer life. Maybe they will be still alive when that war ends.
Strong learning curve
All I know is the guys flying the plains will survive I pray better for them no two ways about it
2 F-16s in Israeli hands out classed and annihilated 30 Russian aircraft from Arab nations. American technology far outstrips Russian and Chinese capabilities. Don't get too proud of your outdated capabilities. Remember this: it is a bit cynical but true. America is patiently testing its old capabilities against Russia's best. If anything turns badly America and western Europe will test run their newest tech which out strips Russian capabilities by decades. And all of this without expending NATO lives. Russia has been foolish enough to create a modern warfare test ground for anything that NATO, western Europe and other allied nations want to try out at Russia's expense. Damn fool move on Putin's part.
A handful of F-16’s won’t make any more difference that the handful of Abrams have.
True… Unfortunately, Now a 100 F-16s would as Ukraine requested, can they actually get all 100 F-16s is the question ???
@@mraviatorboii2510They will get 79 F16s.
They have 10 now and will get another 10 this year (supplied by the Netherlands) the rest will follow next year.
I’m not sure Ukraine has the crews to fly 79 F16s atm btw.
The F16s will hunt Russian cruse missiles and they will keep MIG34s with glide bombs further away from the frontlines.
@@mraviatorboii2510 80 F-16s have already been pledged and Greece says it has another 30 they would give once they receive their F-35s. It’s not a shortage of aircraft that’s the problem now, it’s a shortage of trained pilots. On top of that you need trained maintenance crews and safe airfields. Good news is the pilots and crews are on the way. 🇺🇦
Nothing makes any difference and here we are, with putin's special operation heading to another birthday.
Over 4,600 F-16s have been built since then. The airplane has been used by more than 25 air forces around the world. Putin and RuZSkis will be sure that Ukraine will become more and more F16
How Zelensky has aged in the last 2 years. War is a terrible thing
The dead begs to differ.
💯✌️
but he get super rich , during genocide of his nation what he is paid for.
@@aleserban9322 So, defending your country ,become genocide in our days.?! Thank you for your wisdom...How much land, children's and infrastructure have to give up Ukraine, voluntarily to russia ,for you to be happy ? Or to be "peace" ? If he would flee the country in feb. 2022, you or any of your socialists and communists friends, would guarantee that would be no GENOCIDE on occupied Ukraine ?
@aleserban9322 who's army does the genocide?
Thanks to everyone who supports Ukraine! ✌️✊🇺🇦🕊️
Russia will capture then no worries
@Made_man_underGod,
Q. Who is Ukraine's largest supplier of weapons?
A. Russia
🇺🇦💪🇺🇲
@@Ak_agent47 it's been 893 days and they haven't yet.........
Not sure how a single seat fighter needs two pilots to fly it 😂😂
Maybe they are doing hot seat switching?
Yeah. Number of trained pilots is openly disclosed 🤦♂️. Sure
Ukraine has 40 million people, I think they can find 200 pilots for training.
The pilots are just one part of the "system". Fighter jets require a lot of infrastructure and trained support staff to maintain the jets and keep them fit to operate.
now just 24 million
@@lovyriturajand going down
@@maxhugen they can fly out of Polish bases
@@Cecil-yc6mc I don't think the Ukrainian F-16s will use Polish airfields as bases for attack missions. This would put Poland in a problematic position. However, they may use those bases for maintenance support. IMO.
Reactivation is key. It's never too late to sign up to be a pilot. Also, make sure the old F-16 trainers, crews, and former pilots get a generous rebate for returning to the field.
Finally, get labourers onto the lines to refurbish these birds.
:)
Bloc 15... early 80's upgrade package..
get ready to see things get plucked out the sky by S300/S400 systems lol
people dont understand that the F16s given to Ukraine are very old and do not even have the electronics suite to use missiles that would give them a chance against Russia. No point explaining though... I've been posting and all I get is people convinced the F16 is next ghost of Ukraine. Reality is the F16 has no chance against Russian jets or against S300/S400.
Basically, these jets need NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine to maintain, repair and to protect these assets and to make them effective. NATO doesn’t have a strategy in Ukraine other than to supply Ukraine with an eclectic array of weapons and using Ukrainians as bodies to fight. NATO is hoping that Russia will run out of money before it does. But they seem to underestimate the tenacity and the will of Russia to fight.
Ukraine is not a NATO member country. What NATO wants most of all is peace and avoid conflict with Russia around the borders but not supporting Ukraine will be even more dangerous because Russia will be motivated to attack more countries, like Moldavia.
There is underestimation on both sides then. The Ukrainians and Russians both fought at Stalingrad
Well, how to say, the Russian Federation still has a lot of equipment in storage, as well as quite good Military-industrial complex, I think the Russian Federation will hold out for a very long time
It is not just a matter of flying. It takes years of training to operate a combat system as complex as the F16. Then, there is the issue of maintenance and logistics. Also, weapons integrations, what weapons can these aircraft actually deploy, etc etc etc. not all of these F16’s are actually up to the latests standards, so, they cannot all carry up to date weapons. Then, consider that nowhere in Ukraine is out of range of the Russians.
No where in Russia is out of range for Ukraine if they are allowed,it cuts both ways as Putin is finding out…
@@APW-ry2ok no. There are still many restrictions on where Ukraine may use NATO weapons. The few drones that Ukraine manages routinely slip through are insignificant. Have you looked at a map? Have you seen just how big Russia is? Russia c an move its strategic forces completely out of range, and it will simply make their missions longer. Ukraine cannot come near those bases.
@@phelansa23 Every part of Russia would be at risk if the USA allowed the use of long range weapons ,come to that if Germany grew a spine and supplied the TAURUS Russia would feel the heat. Russia has lost it just won’t accept it until it’s on it knees,it has numerous sanctions and a 18% interest rate . And using golf carts and motorbikes on the front line is not a winning strategy.
@@APW-ry2ok those are some rather important “IF’s” you have there. I will give you another one. If Trump was president, rather than Biden…… Putin would never have invaded Ukraine. I am not a Trump supporter, I am not even American. I just believe that Putin waited for Biden to come to power before he moved. That aside, unless NATO sends pilots, and remove the restrictions on NATO weapons, Russia will keep advancing. F16’s non withstanding.
@@phelansa23 Crimea is the key ,my guess the bridge will be down soon ,this will put pressure on Russia as Crimea will be made untenable this puts Putin in a check position .We will see once the F16s start playing their part. Have no doubt Russia will crumble with the tactics Ukraine is using crippling oil refineries ,airfields ,command posts etc.Whilst Putin goes for children’s cancer hospitals….
Now western media will not say f-16 can be game changer for ukraine just like they said for western tanks during counter offensive. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
did your Russian tanks and tankers enjoy the anti-tank weapons from the West? more than 3200 destroyed Russian tanks (visually confirmed by OSINT. was *that* game-changing enough for you? LOL
The F-16s may not end the game, but they're game-changers all right. Russia has been forced to change its tactics many times over, whenever new Western weapons made their entrance. And nothing ever changed for the better for Russia.
Ukraine fielding F16 this late into war is like Germany fielding Me-262 at the end of war.
I hate 2 say it, but when U look deeper into the Ukraine F-16 story, and what Ukrainians expect.It's quite sad.
They want 300, at least. First of all, there are no more than 80 or so available. The rest should come from the USA or bought new. They are still being produced. And Ukraine does not have 600 pilots, let alone 600 that can fly F16.
DW sensorship is amazing , cant even joke here ..wel done
happened to me many times!!
@@georgeageorgopoulos its OK ..the info war fare is in your face ... its hard to see who is telling what now adays
You do realise TH-cam is the one deleting the comments...?
You mean TH-cam?
Maybe you should be funnier
It's not VLADIMIR Zelenskey. Geez, the state of journalism today.
Ukraine is an ally truly worthy of support
Why?
ave do nani sizi lati nako fomini
Why wouldnt they be. Russia was considered the #2 military power on the planet and ukraine has been able to hold them off for years inflicting massive casualties and equipment losses... if that isnt worthy a worhty ally i dont know who is. They have shown the world russia is a ill equipped and trained militarily force and proved westren foghting standards all while modernizing the war warfare is waged...
@@leviwalker7385 Who needs war for US hegemonial interests ? 🤔
thats why its being denied Nato membership and EU membership? an ally or just canon fodder?
They look sooo beautiful 😊
If the opportunity ever comes for you to sit in the seat of an F-16, do it!
The 16 was the first fly-by-wire Fighter produced, an incredible jump forward in AC technology then.
Cheers
They are one of the most beautiful planes, if not the most beautiful.
Ok
But then we had to provide missiles, maintenance, spare parts
Don't fret, the US printing machine can provide Death Star 😆
If Ukraine hasn't been able to train pilots on European F16s before now I would be shocked.
What Ukraine really needs is a lot more of cheap drones. But the military industrial complex can make much more money with F-16s.
ho hum. find another tune. the F-16s have been donated.
The F16's were almost written off economically on the Dutch balance sheet and being replaced by f35 so...
@@AlexVNL Ukraine still needs training, maintenance and spare parts in order to fly these F-16s. That’s how the military industrial complex makes money.
They will be no different to previous planes they lost
What makes the difference are the Swedish AWACS, which are supplied to support the F-16. From there, the targets are acquired, the F-16's missiles are programmed, etc. The Russians will not know who or what hit them, while the F-16 is already on its way back without even activating the radar.
@@chrisraw5367 no match for Mig 31 BM radar or Su 35
@@paulthomas-hh2kv Ivans won't fly to shoot down these Turkeys. Ivans are good at air defence system. they are notoriously known for their Air defense system.
They will be integrated with russian misslies
Gold
Oh you mean the non existent S 500 or do you mean the S 400 which is essentially just a painted over S 300?
We have known about this for almost 2 years.
I can name that tune in three words - Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
They have to take off and land..
people dont want to hear realities of this. They want to believe the Ghost of Kiev will be flying every F16 into victory. Reality is they will have no real impact and might even get taken out before flying.
from Poland
The ghost of Kiev again 😂😂😂😂
LoL what a joke!
I wonder if they wouldn't have been better off with some A-10 attack aircraft?
A10 is a good plane, but not in this case
How? Way too late!
2 years to late
To late and to few. This war is into its third year and Russia is well entrenched in the East. A handful of F-16’s won’t do anything but prolong the cinflict.
And with out F16 RuZSia did not won this war,
Not at all.
Ukraine is used to flying Migs and Sukhoi fighters. Of course its going to take a long while for them to get used to the F-16s.
Poland managed all right.
Can only see one pilot not two ?
Ukraine would need at least 200 F16 to materially change the present air power disparity.
What they are doing now is sending more brave young men to an untimely death.
This is very sad.
No change 😂😂😂😂😂
S400 vs f16
Hope one day we will learn the truth about this war.
What truth is there? Russia wants to conquer Ukraine, so Russia planned this war, started it and keeps waging it, because due to being a dictatorship Russia can afford to throw any number of its citizens into the meat grinder.
Primarily about money. The trillions in resources of Ukraine are going to be taken by someone. NATO wanted it and so did Russia. Guess who is winning. Oil, grain and lithium... winner becomes much stronger for the future. Ukraine loses regardless. just fighting to see who gets to take Ukraine wealth. THAT... is the reality of this war.
Expectations are thru the roof for the F16s but reality is far different. When I soloed on the road to get my pilot license many years ago, my instructor told me something I still remember all these years later. He told me soloing was just the beginning and warned me it would be a long journey to become a skilled pilot. These 6 pilots are the equivalent of just soloing in the F16s. To master them, takes many years and hundreds if not thousands of hours of stick time. They are not going to be even close to ready for real combat. To rush them just means they will be shot down quickly. Either by far more skilled Russian pilots or by air defenses. Putting low skill pilots in an F16 would be like taking someone who drives a mustang in a formular race car. Yes they could probably drive it around the racetrack but would be beat badly by a skilled formula racecar driver.
True.
Russian pilots have about a tenth of the flying time as US pilots so they won't be shooting down *anyone* (other than through friendly fire)
@@Cecil-yc6mc Russia is going against Ukrainian pilots and compared to Ukraine... Russian pilots are vastly more experienced. Honestly, the low flight time pilots who were able to be cleared to fly the F16s would have zero chance in combat. An F16 is a complex aircraft and you don't just fly a hundred hours and call yourself an expert. It takes years go gain skill.
@@KairiAmane-s7t I don't want to be too critical of your comments and do appreciate you taking the time to respond. I will just say this... the F16s could help Ukraine. In order for them to really help though, they have to fly sorties every day. Currently, they are just flying over a large city doing nothing but an airshow of sorts. While it may lift moral, Ukraine loses territory every day and they need something more than a moral boost. If Ukraine cannot go on the offensive, there is no way to win. The recent offensive of 300 troops and a few tanks plus maybe 20 or 30 armed vehicles got wiped out by Russia. Not a good use of weapons or manpower to charge into Russia and get wiped out so quickly. Ukraine really lacks leadership. That is the reason they are losing this war. Zelensky has no clue what he is doing and Ukraine is suffering because of his weakness.
Most of these so-called experts hardly ever say anything that most people didn't already know or had not already thought about. They look at publicly disclosed data and try to draw conclusion and give predictions. A good knowledge of history is a much better source of nuance good long-term predictions than just looking at the current situation trying to make guesses. That's why I find historians much more insightful than these "experts", "analysts", "commentators" etc etc.
Pour info, la Belgique mon pays a promis de donner à l'Ukraine 30 F-16 d'ici 2028.... Fort bien mais il faut savoir que ces F-16 sont déjà en fin de vie et qu'ils seront totalement dépassés en 2029... En fait on donne à l'Ukraine nos vieilles armes pour ne pas devoir supporter le coût de leur démantèlement...
Growing an Air Force for war is not a new venture that never happened in world history. In numerous cases it starts slowly then a critical mass occurs. Likely Ukraine wont be the exception. The reason for making F16 great for Ukraine is it’s still a production a/c. Making it a a/c that won’t be obsolete in couple decades unlike the F18 & few other European a/c. With that said it’s likely few years before daily multi sorties can be sustained by Ukraine. Question is how many of the training squadrons will return to actively training pilots. They shut down one of Southwest squadron. They had two squadrons which trained Taiwanese & Singaporean pilots.
Incredible waste of time and money on what is basicly a PR stunt. 3rd generation unstealthy wornout airframes with limited numbers and undertrained crews on the ground and in the air
The money would have been far better spent on frontline soldiers, night vision, thermal underwear etc.
taku ne mak khe ik bha ka ni
and long range artillery.
@@carl94-h9h The F-16s _are_ long range artillery as it were. Air-launched stand-off weapons will reach further than surface-launched ones. That's how the Russians predominantly use their combat aircraft nowadays.
Okay so why is the mighty soviet, I mean russian air force so useless at present? and how do you think that changes with these 'wornout' birds in the air? Let's wait and see.
Thermal underwear. That will make the difference 🤠👌
Ukraine has been asking for them
Did he speak with the pilots before or after they received the last rites?
79-95 F-16 are promised to Ukraine although 10 are supposed to be shipped as spare parts not active aircrafts by the aforementioned countries not 60 jets, plus possible additional 32 by Greece
Russia has almost 1,000 front line modern fighters.
@braxxian not really available fighter at Ukraine theatre is 300 at most
2 pilots required to a operate SINGLE SEAT fighter ....is one pilot supposed to sit in the others lap....🤔🤦...maybe next time have on an "expert" who actually knows what they are talking about....
There are two-seat models of the F-16
Its about keeping jet in the air. 12hours per pilot.
@@livewiyaYes, but even those can be operated single pilot and are typically only used for training, the majority of the jets Ukraine will be operating will be single seat, ie like the two Zelensky was speaking in front of.
@@Aviationlvr with no ability to provide air to air refueling, their flights are going to be fairly short time wise, pilot rest is going to be their least of their concerns.... Hopefully the jets are able to help a bit, time will tell....
@@dberaupilotThe Ukrainians don’t have to fly any long distance to require air refueling. With that said, the jets need a system to support, maintain and protect them. Something that the Ukrainian military doesn’t have.
Flying coffins in modern warfare . What bandera regime expect ?
Those Danish politicians who send F-16 won’t get my vote.
You are one of those who help Russia. You will not receive approval from God. And this disapproval is much stronger than yours.
Boris, your vote doesn't count in your own country Russia...let alone Denmark.
What an expert !!!!
She is wrong the F-16 is a single pilot except the F-16B that is used as a training plane …
Two pilots per aircraft, means the pilots rotate shifts.
Someone doesn't know that pilots need to sleep and eat.
F16 was brought down by Afghan Pilot with Russian Mek 21 Jet Fighter plane, This happened in 1987
but the Ukrainians are only facing *Russian* pilots. A lot easy task.
@@Cecil-yc6mc they will encounter Russian air defense, there will be little chance, most likely the F-16 will face the fate of the Abrams and leopards
@@Cecil-yc6mc 😅😅😅 Funny comment
@@Rutil3487 Given that these are two completely different weapon systems, no. The F16 will be equipped with HARMS. Besides, given all the drones that seem to get by the Russian air defense, I wouldn't worry. Russian personnel probably stole some copper wiring to exchange for vodka.
Marina is the best analyst in DW on the affairs of Ukraine where she speaks truth and reality
Right, and also General Reisner
Is Right ❤
Reading the comments - I see lots of negative opinions about these F-16's, you are all wrong. They will make a huge difference. Even 10 of them will make a huge difference
lol. Great counter argument supported by lots of facts…..
_I heard what sounded like some very smart Russians say the F-16s would not help Ukraine at all, so my feeling now is that we should just surrender and not even try._ - j q t -
You are just fooling yourself. The F16s they got are older versions. No ability to use the best long range missiles so against a Russian jet or even in range of the S300/S400... F16s lose every time. Not bashing them just speaking truth to stop all the false hope.
blablabla bullsht. I can remember how difficult it was to refuel an abrams tank blablabla...
لأوكرانيا طيارون كثر لنفس طويل للتدريب و حفظ F-16 .هذا دليل على ان الحق لأمريكا لمن تعطي و تبيع أسلحتها و بالأخص طائراتها العسكرية. امريكا و سلعة امريكا لا نظير لها ،انها تسبح في تكنولوجيا المعلومات بالكمّ .ربنا معك .
It's time to accept the war is totally lost for Ukraine. To many are dying and the Russians continue to take and consolidate land. If Ukraine makes peace now maybe they can still save some of the country and spare their peoples lives and a situation of unconditional surrender. Praying for Ukraine. ❤
Russia takes land at a rate which means that the war will last hundreds of years
Sniffing comedian 😂😂😂
Those are the ones from Denmark
Maybe behind Zelenski, but the taxing one on the runway has a Dutch paintjob ;-)
@olivierfaber8478 What you are talking about are old stock videos of Dutch F-16 , those are filmed in Romania , those are not the ones Ukraine showed on TV , I know they are danish because they don't have the tail parachute like , the ones from Belgium, Norway or Holland .Obviously I was referring to the ones with Ukrainian markings, why would I call danish , planes with Dutch markings on? So there is no maybe , no tail chute , 100 % from Danmark
All 6 jets? VS Ruzzia's 800 some jets?
What do u think? Training could have been approved in March 2022.
If Russia got 800 operational jets, why didn't it just use them to end the war?
60
Biden is most likely Putin's secret friend. For 3 years Biden has been trying to save Putin's face with all his might.
@@hmgrraarrpffrzz9763they could also use nukes to end the war... Point is they don't want to
@@hmgrraarrpffrzz9763 Because they don't want to lose them to Stingers and such
Oh he forgot he's big boy voice
You just watch the Power of this 60 years old plane is a awesome combat plane and its just in time before the upcoming harsh winter weather will have no affect on this plane
it came in 1973 , u can count?
DW : give the location where the planes will be parked, like in a recent report. Continue with your very wise reporting
20 trained pilots? 🤔 This has been talked about for so long, I would have expected at least 50+ would be trained by now.
It is unlikely they will divulge actual numbers.
It takes almost a year just to learn how to fly. It takes much longer to become a skilled fighter pilot.
Ukrainian young men prefer to live a good life in Germany... I can understand this.
@@eddastrohmayer251 whilst the sons of Russian oligarchs hide in Thailand and Bali
@@Cecil-yc6mcEverywhere the same. Rich hide and poor die for the interests of the rich.
Oh wow, let's be happy that Ukraine finally got the F-16..Llet Ukraine figure out how to deal with it.. how about not criticising ..
F16s are a single seat fighter
There dual seat also.. F-16Bs & F-16Ds.. Although, I don’t know if Ukraine has the 2 seater variant..
Still winning?
According to western MSM Ukraine has been “winning” from day 1. Pity that “winning” involved them loosing 1/5 if their country.😉
William Spaniel counted, by temporary pace, Russia will take Ukraine in 500 years and will loose 28 million soldiers...
RuZZia will win in 3 days🤣
Ukraine fights and holds off russia for multiple years inflicting massive casualties and still holding a vast proportion of their land..... yes thats called a win.
@@leviwalker7385 Right, it's US thinking that wars far away from their country are needed for their hegemonial interests. The longer the better...
But not European interest and not European thinking !
Training flights for what is lrft of summer. Come fall...things get interesting.
You out no Vin Russian Vin
They will do damage to Russia,
even if the pilots do not fly them well an crash into a tank
Ukraine peace negotiation turns to be the way to squeeze out the money and the weapons from US or NATO.
Nope, they are just getting 30-50 year old kit from the American military junkdrawer while that money stays in the US. Example: Ukraine gets 5 F16s, the US makes 2 F35s. Granted the Americans aren't supplying F16s, but I imagine you get that picture. Besides 5% of the US def budget for a single year did what $40T over the course of the Cold War couldn't do.
One Word. Gripen.
Air defense + HIMARS' air defense + sidewinder missiles.
Russia will have them by then
No difference
They can’t even figure out how to get in the cockpit still
🇺🇦🤤
60 F16 are a lot of planes, it can change everything
But like the analyst said, you also need airfields, maintenance and repairs, fuel, weapons and the defense systems to protect these assets. Basically, in order to make these jets effective, you’d need NATO forces on the ground in Ukraine.
@@lancecahill5486 or fly them from Poland
@@Cecil-yc6mc Poland will not participate in attack on Russia, child.
f16 jets,,,yes russia can up the damage to russia,,,but you up the damage too!!!
🤣🤣🤣 Damn Ukraine you don't understand Russia has the strongest Air Force in the world better than all of you
Its nothing for russia.
Why does Jr sit like a Muppet?😹😹😹
NATO pilots
Viva Putin 🎉🎉🎉
They will not achieve anything. They will never be sent to the front lines. A waste of time and money.
As Ukraine is now drafting men, there should be constant testing of possible pilots and being sent to train on these in those countries that have been training them already. The F-16's still on the way will need experienced pilots who knows every aspect of their jets to make them more efficient and effective.
the Russians will integrate it for the Ukrainians as scrap iron 😂
As a layperson, why would you believe that Ukrainian pilots are flying F-16s rather than those from the United States or a trusted NATO nation? F-16 is difficult to manage due to the complexity claims.
Slava ukrainei
do you think that he was still a president ¿ expired😅😅😅
DW is fascism at the highest they delete all opinion opposite to German super fascism! ;))
Then stop whining about it and go somewhere else.
Analyst said they received 2-seater F16s and could only fly 10 at a time. But the F16s Zelensky stands in front of, with Ukraine Emblem on the tail, are both single seat!
Hello Germania super fascist world!!! ;))
If poo-tin is a common enemy why Ukrainians fight him alone? If not why bother?😁
Putin is just the by US neocons chosen enemy. And Ukraine is the by US neocons chosen proxy to weaken Russia (and EU) for US hegemonial interests...
Ukraine has alot of pilot's but they arent used to westren planes. These are very capable pilots the problem is a familiarization with a new weapon system with if this war has tought us anything the Ukrainians are superbly adapt and will learn in no time, just like all the other platforms they have been given.
Romanian pilots got 7 months conversition training. NATO have excuses with no end. Embarrasing.
It is never too late. The pilots have been training for 9 months. Your guest is talking B.S. Slava Ukraine.
Bomber Harris to Moskou.
the f16A is a single-seat model and I believe Ukraine have more than 20 pilots trained to fly them
The U.S. should grant Ukraine enough money so Ukraine can hire enough skilled European or American F-16 fighter pilots and support personnel to fly at least 2, maybe more, squadrons for Ukraine. 🤨
So US pilots can't fly the F-16? I doubt either Europeans or Americans will get permission to go merc.
why? All thats needed is for Ukrainians to volunteer, many have.
why don't you go and fight old man?
Zelensky is a comedian 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
And yet he achieved a thousand times more than you ever will. :)
U.S pilots will be flying them
yep. they will fly them out of Poland. NATO pilots first - to create fear in the Russians...then they can mix in Ukrainian pilots
😅😅🤣🤣🤣😂😂