Russians prepare for incoming F‑16s in Ukraine: pilots confident

The Russian Zvezdanews service presented the opinions of Russian Su-30SM fighter pilots regarding the delivery of Western F-16s to Ukraine. The Russians in the "Military Acceptance" program admitted they had been studying the features of the F-16 fighters for a long time and developing combat tactics against these machines. They emphasized that they know their strengths and weaknesses. One pilot even said, "There will be a new target. Who cares? We are even waiting for them to appear."

"We understand perfectly well that [Editors: Ukrainians] will act cunningly, organize ambushes, and commit some malice. But our aircraft surpasses the F-16 in everything—both in terms of maneuverability and weaponry. Our targeting system is more advanced and modern. So I think there should be no problems. We have been preparing for a meeting with these aircraft for a long time; we study, our tactical techniques are already developed. We are ready," said the commander of the Su-30SM fighter pilot group, as quoted by Zvezdanews.

The first Dutch F-16s are expected to arrive in Ukraine soon. In total, the Dutch government has decided to deliver 24 such machines. At a later date, Kyiv will also receive fighters from Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. It is expected that the Ukrainian Air Force will have about 80 F-16 fighters at its disposal, allowing for the creation of about four squadrons. The machines' main tasks will be conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.

The transfer of Western aircraft to Ukraine is no secret. Kyiv's allies have been announcing it for a long time, so the Russians have had plenty of time to prepare for the arrival of the F-16s. As former land forces commander Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak recently said in an interview with WP Tech, the Russians have had time to bring to eastern Ukraine, among other things, air defense systems such as the S-300 and S-400. Additionally, they have created attack plans and are monitoring all airports where Ukrainian aircraft can be based.

Recently, there have been reports of accelerated modernization of some Russian Su-30SM fighters, who are the main opponents of the F-16 in air combat. According to the Russians, these significantly surpass Western fighters in their capabilities. It's worth noting that the Su-30SM is a modernization of the Su-30 combat aircraft developed based on the Su-27, often presented by the Kremlin as equal to the American F-22 or F-35.

The Su-30SM has been modernized according to current Russian requirements for radars, radio communication systems, identification friend or foe systems, ejection seats, weaponry, and other onboard systems. The fighter is equipped with an N011M Bars radar with a maximum target detection range of up to 250 miles. It can carry up to 18,000 pounds of weaponry, including supersonic cruise missiles. It is also armed with a single-barrel GSh-30-1 automatic cannon with a caliber of 30 mm.