US F-16 fighters donated to Kyiv shall be deployed in Ukraine

The F-16 fighter jets that the US plans to provide to Ukraine shall be based mostly immediately on Ukrainian soil. This was confirmed by Jake Sullivan, the Nationwide Safety Advisor to the US President. “The plan is to deploy the F-16s to Ukraine,” Sullivan talked about in an interview with PBS. 

Picture credit score: FAR

Sullivan highlighted the bilateral safety settlement signed by US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He defined that the settlement displays Washington’s dedication to help Kyiv in acquiring these jets, emphasizing that they need to be stationed in Nezalezhna.

Ukraine has lengthy hoped to deploy F-16 fighter jets, a transfer that has met with staunch opposition from the Russian navy. Retired Russian Colonel Viktor Litovkin has beforehand warned that if Ukraine constructs airfields and help amenities for these Western-supplied jets, the Russian navy would goal and destroy these amenities. He famous that Russia would rigorously monitor building progress to launch assaults at a vital juncture. 

Ukrainian digital altered F-16 emerges; Russia boosts missile output
Picture credit score: Twitter

Conscious of the looming risk, Ukraine determined to take a daring step. They invested closely in constructing the required infrastructure, together with airfields, radar stations, pre-flight coaching amenities, upkeep tools, aviation gasoline purification, and missile storage amenities. Now, with the Russian navy following via on its warnings, Ukraine faces important hazard and the gamble could backfire.

Ukraine is poised to obtain no less than 75 operationally prepared F-16 fighter jets from its allies, with some sources suggesting the quantity might even be increased. These warplanes are anticipated to play a pivotal function in defending Ukraine towards a possible Russian invasion. In reality, with Denmark’s approval, F-16s might strike into Russia. 

Nevertheless, there are ongoing issues in regards to the secure arrival of those fighters in Ukraine. Think about this state of affairs: what if Russia possessed correct intelligence on the placement of newly constructed F-16 airstrips? Given Russia’s superior area surveillance capabilities, this could possibly be a major benefit.

32 Romanian F-16s will receive TTP 'Friend and Foe' integration
Picture credit score: RNAF

This raises a vital query: The place will Ukrainian F-16s take off from if Russian strikes efficiently destroy the runways below building? We’ve seen a number of “crimson strains” being crossed, particularly by nations supporting Ukraine. Tanks had been as soon as off-limits, as had been long-range missiles, Western intelligence, warplanes, and even using Western weapons towards targets in Russia. But, all these boundaries have been damaged. 

The following potential taboo could possibly be permitting Ukrainian plane to take off from Romania, Poland, or the Baltic nations. If this occurs, it would pave the best way for the eventual deployment of Western floor fight models, additional escalating the battle. This state of affairs paints an image of a conflict during which Western opposition to Russia continues to interrupt earlier prohibitions, making peace appear to be a distant purpose.

BulgarianMilitary.com experiences {that a} Russian firm has supplied a hefty reward for taking pictures down one of many anticipated Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets. Sergey Shmotyev, the director of the Ural firm Fores, introduced a reward of 15 million rubles [around $167,700] for the primary downed F-16 fighter and 500,000 rubles [approximately $5,591] for every subsequent airplane. 

Denmark runs out of F-16 fighters, gives the rest to Ukraine
Picture credit score: EPA-EFE/BO AMSTRUP

Shmotyev famous that there have been earlier incentives for taking out tanks, with a bounty of 5 million rubles [$55,910] for the primary tank and 500,000 rubles [$5,591] for every further one. He added that greater than 20 tanks are at the moment in line for his or her destruction reward.

Beforehand, throughout the G-7 assembly in Italy, U.S. President Joe Biden clarified that the U.S.-Ukraine safety settlement doesn’t embody deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine. Nevertheless, he reiterated that Washington’s stance on long-range strikes on Russian territory stays unchanged. 

In the meantime, President Zelensky introduced that the safety settlement Kyiv will obtain consists of Patriot air protection programs and quite a few fighter squadrons, together with F-16 fighter jets. 

Argentina procures 24 used European F-16A/B MLUs with AIM missiles
Picture credit score: NATO

The Russian Overseas Ministry said that Moscow views the arrival of F-16s in Ukraine as potential carriers of nuclear weapons, citing their historic use in NATO’s “joint nuclear missions.” The Ministry labeled the switch of those jets to Kyiv as a deliberate provocation by NATO and the US.

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