First F-16s Arive In Ukraine

originally posted by: JAY1980
3rd generation fighters piloted by pilots with months of training versus combat hardened 5th generation fighter pilots. Good luck Ukraine...

Who do you think will win?

The pilots with God as their co-pilot, will emerge victorious.

In the 99’ NATO bombing of Serbia for 72 days, it went all out on Serbia. Bombing everything in sight including a Chinese embassy at the time.

en.m.wikipedia.org...

Similar high intensity as Israel is doing in Gaza. All gloves off etc.

Now look at Kiev on any live feeds. Place is basically untouched.

It doesn’t seem big bad Putin/Russia is actually interested in launching everything on Kiev and flattening it.

However, guess who is benefiting that everything else (like in eastern ukraine) is getting flattened currently?

You know, on the mainly ethnic Russian populated side?

a reply to: WeMustCare

Is that what you tell yourself?
Are you aware of the avionics that go into each build? I only know what is public but I am damn sure that much more is available.
The US tech is far beyond that of the eastern block for sure.
Our manufacturing capabilities and tech know how is years ahead.
So if you put a pilot that is trained with our knowledge in that seat. Any number of things can happen.
That movie Maverick is a great example of what could be done with a lesser airframe. Though I doubt one could pull such maneuvers off but let's say they did. Then theoretically Ukraine could hold the sky.
Or it's just a completwaste of time and money.

a reply to: WeMustCare

Unfortunately, that is not how it works.

Training and experience are what are required.

The pilots need to be ready to compete and capable before they are flung into the theatre of war.

Else Ukraine will simply lose the remaining pilots that they have and additionally multirole fighter aircraft.

And that's not the desirable result.

a reply to: andy06shake

They’re probably getting more flight time at Morris than in the last two years. The guys there have spent decades training foreign pilots, so they’ll get the best training they can cram into a short time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I really hope they can make a difference and that they hand the Russian forces their own ars@.

When do you imagine they will be deployed on the battlefield?

Hopefully, they can be used to support the next Ukrainian spring offensive if they have not come to the peace table by then.

a reply to: andy06shake

My guess is they won’t see combat before February. They started flying out of Morris in late September, and it’s a four month planned transition program, which puts them in line with aircraft deliveries next month.

originally posted by: Imhere
Well, f-16s were planned to be in Ukraine anyway for years.

Considering this goes back for decades with the Clintons/Biden in the 90s, who supported/funded Al qaeda backed Muslim extremists cells in Southern Europe/Balkans. Destabilizing the region further.

Funny how Israel is now dealing with backlashes and calls of genocide. In Israel’s defense Hamas is using human shields. (Shrugs)

It didn’t bother the Clintons/Biden, when the Al qaeda backed Muslim extremists were defecating and demolishing centuries old Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo in the 90s. Trying to erase it from the region and murdered thousands of Serbian civilians. Yet, only focused on Serbia as the perpetrators.

In fact, NATO BOMBED Serbia for 72days instead. And planted bases in Kosovo. and stripped centuries old sovereign land away from Serbia in 99’.

Now, here comes Putin. Replacing a drunken stooge Yeltsin.

Putin tried to have Russia in the 2000s with Bush have a closer relationship and even have Russia in NATO.

Of course, the truth is that the Military industrial complex makes cash. A lot of it. Can’t have Russia be friendly. Because less business.

Putin and Russia saw this over time. And knew what was coming. More NATO bases/occupied land.

Now here come the f-16s to get sent into the grinder just like the rest of the profitable (not for you) “donations”

There's a glaring hole in this "theory."

If we became allies with Russia, we would be allies against China, and we still would've had the decades-long war on terror, not to mention all the other problems in the world we can/do get involved in. The only way the MIC would stop making money is if the US completely repostured to not be all over the world. As long as we are, the exact players aren't all that important.

originally posted by: Imhere

Similar high intensity as Israel is doing in Gaza. All gloves off etc.

Israel hasn't gone all gloves off in Gaza. Far from it.

a reply to: charlest2

Think about this . Any F16 Weapon used to Kill Russians could be Considered an Act of War by the United States . Am I the Only Person who has a SERIOUS PROBLEM with that > ?

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

As opposed to all the Russians killed by HiMARS, ATACMS, M777... Those are OK, but F-16s are too far?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Too far depends on what putin thinks about it. Air superiority seems to be high priority, at least for the USA anyway.

a reply to: Unknownparadox

And based on their performance in the last 2 years, even if Putin decides it's too far, they aren't going to be able to do crap. Air superiority is a priority for anyone fighting. If you don't have air superiority your losses are going to be significantly higher.

originally posted by: JAY1980
3rd generation fighters piloted by pilots with months of training versus combat hardened 5th generation fighter pilots. Good luck Ukraine...

Who do you think will win?

The F-16...

F-16 will beat a F-35 in a dog fight... The problem is the F-35 will take out the F-16 before it knows it is there.

originally posted by: Zaphod58

And based on their performance in the last 2 years, even if Putin decides it's too far, they aren't going to be able to do crap. Air superiority is a priority for anyone fighting. If you don't have air superiority your losses are going to be significantly higher.

What makes the F-16 good is it can carry AIM-120s and 500 to 2000 lbs JDAMS... They can drop the JDAMS 45 miles from the target, the AIMs are fire and forget air to air

a reply to: Zaphod58

And based on their performance in the last 2 years, even if Putin decides it's too far, they aren't going to be able to do crap.

For NATO and America supplying Ukraine with weapons, Russia hasn't done to bad. Considering it is just a shadow of the former USSR.

But Putin can do lots of crap, He has at least as many nuke as America maybe more. He is a mad man and he could go with a scorched earth policy. Color me cautious, you got two senile old men at war with each other, one is a strong arm dictator and a murder. With 4,000 plus thermonuclear weapons between the two of them. Not counting the rest of the world.

a reply to: Unknownparadox

And there's at least some evidence that many of their weapons will have issues. The US has a similar numbers of weapons, and spends about $50B a year on routine maintenance. In 2023, the entire Russian military budget was $84B. That's outside the $80B or so spent on the Ukraine war. The 2024 budget has military spending over $100B, but a lot of that is going to replacing and repairing equipment used in Ukraine. Nuclear weapons in Russia don't suddenly work differently, and there's no evidence that they're keeping up on their maintenance the way that it should be.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Unknownparadox

And there's at least some evidence that many of their weapons will have issues. The US has a similar numbers of weapons, and spends about $50B a year on routine maintenance. In 2023, the entire Russian military budget was $84B. That's outside the $80B or so spent on the Ukraine war. The 2024 budget has military spending over $100B, but a lot of that is going to replacing and repairing equipment used in Ukraine. Nuclear weapons in Russia don't suddenly work differently, and there's no evidence that they're keeping up on their maintenance the way that it should be.

Enough evidence not to be f*cked with.

To where neither China nor us are ready to knock on for a full on face to face inspection.

We’re not talking about Iran here either.

Not talking about any other countries in the past years playing catch up either.

In the end, it’s something we all clearly understand for decades that basically the water over there, is wet.