It could take months for the Ukrainian army and its Western backers to properly adapt the American-made F-16 fighter jets (Fighting Falcons) for combat in Ukraine, according to the European edition of Politico that cites experts and officials, who acknowledge that the process of getting the fighters airborne would be challenging.
This development comes as a disappointment for Kiev, because they had hoped that the arrival of the F-16s would significantly boost their military capabilities. The promise made by Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium to deliver 60 planes was prematurely hailed as what was thought to have been a major success of Ukrainian diplomacy.
The task of retraining Ukrainian pilots, who are used to flying Russian-made MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets, proved to be just one of many problems.
“The bases [for F-16s] will be prime targets for Russian attack, the planes themselves will be marked by Russian air defence systems. Repairing the planes will be a challenge and even using unprepared runways could sabotage the delicate aircraft,” Politico reports.
Tom Richter, a former US Marine pilot who has flown the F-16 previously, admits to the publication that the Soviet-made planes are more “rough and tumble” and can fly off poorly maintained airfields, while the F-16 by comparison is a “prima donna” that needs high maintenance.
Politico quotes Yuriy Ignat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force, as saying that “Falcons indeed need some adaptation.” This will include sending “teams with sealant” to cover cracks, crevices and uneven concrete on little-known runways. The few well-maintained sites will make “an obvious target" for a Russian attack, Politico quotes Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute think tank as saying.
Will these F-16s truly have an impact? According to the annual Military Balance report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Ukraine initially had a fleet of 71 Su-27s and MiG-29s at the start of the conflict in February 2022. They also had 14 Su-24M bombers and 31 Su-25 attack aircraft.
However, what remains of this fleet now? The report indicates that in 2024, Ukraine only has 78 combat aircraft left. This number includes 33 MiG fighter jets transferred by Slovakia and Poland – “many with updated avionics and weapons to bring them up to NATO standards.”
Despite coming from the old Soviet stockpiles of weapons that were transferred to Moscow's former allies before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, this gift has not yet proven to have made any significant impact. In comparison to Ukraine's 78 combat-ready aircraft, Russia boasts a staggering 1,169.
Politico quotes the Danish Defense Ministry as saying the first F-16s will arrive in Ukraine this summer, and even then “several conditions” will have to be met before the jets can take off from Ukrainian airfields.
Meanwhile, Politico writes, Ukraine's soldiers will continue to be “pummelled by Russian air-dropped glide bombs and missiles.”
The other problem will be getting highly-specialized Western contractors into Ukraine to oversee the work of newly-trained Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel. It may not be easy and certainly will not be a safe or cheap operation.