According to the commander, the future arrival of F-16 fighters in Ukraine will not be a panacea. This will be the first stage of a longer process of transition of the country's armed forces to Western tactics and equipment.
Points of attention
- Gaining air superiority with the F-16 is a long-term process that requires time and preparation.
- Ukraine needs to adapt to new conditions and ensure protection against new threats, such as ballistic missiles or kamikaze drones.
- Ukraine joining the ranks of countries that use Western aircraft will create new opportunities and challenges for the Ukrainian Air Force.
- Deliveries of F-16s from the US and other NATO countries are an important step to increase Ukraine's defense capabilities.
When Ukraine will get air superiority thanks to the F-16
According to General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Force in Europe, Ukrainian pilots will not gain air superiority for several weeks.
It's going to be a process we go through, but at least we're getting started. I think that the most important thing here is that this is the beginning of the introduction of Western equipment, Western tactics, Western doctrine and Western thinking into Ukraine, — said Hekker.
Ukraine will follow other former Eastern Bloc countries that have joined NATO and accepted Western aircraft. It takes time to be able to effectively operate aircraft with sufficient personnel and the necessary logistical support.
It won't happen right away, but we have to start, and we're pretty close to that already, the general said.
Ukraine was largely successful during the war in keeping its aircraft safe by being flexible—for example, by never taking off and landing from the same base. The Ukrainian Air Force has done this with its current fleet of MiG-29s and Su-24s, and now they will need to do it again with the F-16. This will be a difficult task, as not all airfields across the country will be able to handle the new aircraft, Hekker said.
Operationally, Russia has adapted its tactics, targeting and striking more quickly, Hekker says. Moscow is increasingly using ballistic missiles provided by North Korea, so Ukraine's partners need to ensure proper protection against them — along with the proliferation of kamikaze drones.
Hekker said he was more concerned about Ukraine's future "a couple of months ago" because the country's ammunition stockpile was depleted and international political pressure had slowed replenishment. Since then, the situation has eased considerably as the West has provided more systems needed for both defense and offense.
F-16 for Ukraine
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced at the NATO summit in Washington in July that Lockheed Martin F-16s will fly in Ukrainian skies this summer.
This is the culmination of a long process that includes training in the US and several locations across Europe, as well as current and future deliveries of aircraft from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.
As President Zelensky stated, Ukraine will receive several F-16 aircraft from Western countries.
