F-16s Over the Donbas — More Stories for Small Children
In The Words of Lloyd Austin — ‘Ukraine is a Very Lethal Air Space’
According to General Pat Ryder, F-16s will be delivered to Kyiv. And we can never forget, these aircraft are one of the most numerous fourth-generation jets in history.
They are an elegant aircraft and — old.
Some say these aircraft will be delivered by September of this year. If you expect Ukrainian pilots to transition from MiG-29s to F-16s by September that’s great. Let’s just put aside, to train a pilot in the basics of an F-16 — it normally takes 18 months. Meaning, not just getting type-rated in the aircraft; you need to learn all the weapons platforms and communications.
Of course, to this audience, we all know this narrative is nonsense. But, let’s assume it’s true. Let’s assume Ukrainian pilots have enough experience that they’re able to transition more quickly in a crash program. And finally, let’s assume by September, there are Ukrainian pilots in F-16s — who are ready to fly and fight.
What’s next?
These pilots are going to have to fly against Russian air defenses. And for God sakes let’s dispel this horseshit right now — this is not Afghanistan or Iraq.
Once a Ukrainian pilot takes off on the first mission to (attempt) to gain air superiority. These pilots will need to fly through the most advanced ECCM in the world. After being blind with no communication, these pilots will need to fight through state-of-the-art multi-layered air defenses. Including, the S-400s, and an unlimited supply of first-generation SAM-7s. Also, we can never forget the endless numbers of Russian heavy weapons — a menace to even the fastest jets.
If that is not bad enough we can’t forget random shots from the Russian Infantry. One lucky shot can bring down a 70-million-dollar aircraft in flames. And to cap the day off for the brave men and women who have just experienced a 60% attritional rate in their sortie. Russian special weapons battalions will be waiting for them on their way back shouldering the new SA-29. In addition to ‘another round’ of everything else I just described. Don’t worry about Russian fighter aircraft; you won’t find a Russian MiG in the sky. This is simply due to the fact they themselves don’t want to get shot down by their own air defenses.
Make no mistake, F-16 aircraft losses will be — HEAVY.
Quite frankly, I highly doubt we will ever see these Falcons flying over the Donbas. Being in command, the last thing I would want to see our my aircraft littering the battlefield. In fact, if I was from The Joint Chiefs I think I would resign on the spot.
Oh — that’s right, that is precisely what’s happening.
— Chris
Just you wait. The brave Ukrainian freedom flyers will take those F-16's and do things never before thought possible. They'll fly them to the edges of space, tweak the engines to achieve Mach 3, knock out multiple targets with every missile, dodge hypersonic weapons, scoop children from burning buildings, discover an unknown 'stealth' mode, and accomplish so much with every plane that the U.S. will promise them hundreds more out of sheer admiration and gratitude. Soon congress will even issue a special medal to honor particularly brave Ukrainian martyrs, and they'll create a special debt balloon so that hundreds of billions of dollars in military largesse won't be added to the official nation debt tally.
This reminds me of the Vietnam War. I read an interesting article in some pilot magazine years ago. It was about an F-8 pilot who was at some large meeting of Vietnam War vets -- from all sides.
Anyway he was walking around meeting people when he came upon this Russian guy. He started talking with him, and after a while they figured out who each other was! The F-8 pilot had shot down the Russian pilot during the war. He remembered the numbers from the MiG, and the Russian guy remembered the numbers from the F-8.
There where American pilots who were dog fighting Russian pilots. Of course at the time, the USSR denied that they were sending *their* fighter pilots, and maintained that they were only training the Vienamese pilots.
Now America is in the position that the Soviet Union was in. The illegitimate Biden regime is going to lie about the involvement of US fighter pilots, but all the while, those fighting the war know better.
Obama did the same thing in Syria, when he said no boots on the ground. But, they sent in A-10 aircraft. Those aircraft are some of the least advanced avionics-wise, and absolutely require people on the ground to paint targets. There were boots on the ground in Syria. Another lie by another illegitimate regime.
Personally I don't think that this will escalate things. I think that it's already as escalated as it can get. I doubt that Russia will do anything unwise, unless Ukraine is able to significantly move-in on existing Russian territory.
We know that the US goal is regime change in Russia. But a proxy war in Ukraine is perhaps *not* the way to bring that about. If Ukraine/US does makes inroads into existing Russian territory, it might get nasty. And that will also help Putin's popularity. Then it's time to worry.
What do you think?