According to Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the priority for the Ukrainian military is to receive the American F-16 fighter jet.
Why is the F-16 a priority for Ukraine?
Ihnat emphasised that the American F-16 fighter jet of the 4th generation is ideal for Ukraine to achieve air superiority over the aircraft of the criminal army of Russia.
After that, in the future, deliveries of any types of attack aircraft and attack helicopters from Western partners can be considered.
The position of the Air Force regarding the adoption of Western aircraft remains unchanged: the priority is the F-16, on which our pilots are currently being trained. Perhaps there will be another type, but it is a multi-purpose aircraft capable of operating on air, ground and surface targets. Therefore, the F-16 is multifunctional and can perform a number of these functions with a wide range of weapons, - said the spokesman of the Air Force Command.
Why F-16 and not A-10
He emphasised that the American attack aircraft A-10, which was mentioned by the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, is designed to support the ground forces by launching powerful strikes against enemy ground targets.
However, it is significantly more expensive to maintain than the F-16.
The A-10 platform will be too burdensome for Air Force aviation, we simply do not have enough resources to master this aircraft, both material and human, explains Ihnat.
Currently, the armed forces of the Armed Forces have Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters of the Army Aviation and Air Force, which perform combat missions near the front line.
In addition, Ukraine uses MiG-29, Su-27 fighters, Su-24M bombers and transport aircraft.
It is clear that air support is very important for the Ground Forces. But Su-25 and helicopters perform this function, Ihnat emphasises.
He emphasised that in the conditions of a large number of enemy anti-aircraft weapons on the front line, as well as the superiority of the Russian occupiers in the air at the expense of more modern aircraft, the use of attack aircraft faces significant limitations.
Both pilots and helicopter pilots today strike at the enemy by the "calibration" method, that is, by raising the "nose" up, and in fact, by sending unguided aviation missiles along a ballistic trajectory.
Ihnat emphasises that the prerequisite for success is gaining superiority in the air, which can be provided by both the F-16 aircraft and anti-aircraft missile systems of medium and long range.
And after that, it becomes possible to effectively use attack aircraft for the purpose of supporting ground troops, as well as combat helicopters, in particular, of the Western model, which our brothers from the army aviation are very eager to get (we are talking about Apache, Black Hawk, etc.). Of course, the commander of the Ground Forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, would like to see more air support, but Ukraine has not sent an official request to provide us with A-10 aircraft. Today, the number 1 issue is the development of the F-16, emphasised the spokesman of the Air Forces of the AFU.
