F‑16 fighters face mixed prospects on Ukrainian fronts

Military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko assessed that the capabilities of the long-awaited F-16 fighters will vary depending on the direction in which they operate. While in the south, they will make it "difficult for the Russians," in the east, their effectiveness will not be so certain.

The long-awaited American F-16 fighters should soon reach Ukraine. Public opinion suggests that this might happen in the coming weeks, heralded by the intensification of Ukrainian shelling towards Russian air defense systems. The Russian Federation Army has been sustaining significant losses in recent weeks in tools used to counter aerial threats.

Although several experts have repeatedly discussed the F-16, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses and assessing how many specific planes the Ukrainian army needs to dominate Russia in the air, now Oleksandr Kovalenko has evaluated how the F-16s will perform, noting that the fighters will not have an easy job in every direction on the front.

“It will be difficult for the Russians in the south and Crimea,” Kovalenko notes. “In these locations, Western radar aircraft can operate relatively freely,” he explains, pointing to where Russian air defense has suffered the most significant losses.

The analyst emphasizes that using and targeting the F-16 will be simplified thanks to the "full compatibility" of the fighters with the radar aircraft previously used by Ukrainians in the southern part of Ukraine.

While the operation of the F-16 in the south should not be hindered, other directions on the front may pose a more significant challenge for Ukrainian planes. “The risk will increase during F-16 operations along the eastern line or the northeastern border,” Kovalenko explains. In this area, the Russian Federation may amass more tools capable of threatening the F-16 than in the southern direction.

Let us recall that these fighters, which experts believe "will change the rules of the game," stand out against Soviet competitors primarily because they can carry a wider range of weapons.

On nine weapon stations, the F-16 can carry, among others, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, Mk82/84 bombs weighing approximately 550 and 1980 lbs, respectively, and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air radar missiles. The maneuverability of the American fighters is also noteworthy. This agility is due to the aircraft's low empty weight of about 17,600 lbs and its ability to accelerate to speeds of about 1,550 mph. The basic variant of the F-16 has a range of 1,990 miles, which increases to 2,610 miles with additional fuel tanks. The maximum altitude at which the F-16 can operate is over 50,000 feet.