The usefulness of the fighters for Ukraine is affected, among other things, by their armament, which is not yet known.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed on Wednesday at the NATO summit in Washington that F-16 fighters are on their way to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been waiting and hoping for fighter jets for a long time. In May of last year, the United States gave its allies permission to supply American-made fighter jets to Ukraine.
According to Blinken, “F-16 fighters will fly in the skies of Ukraine this summer.”
F-16 fighter jets will strengthen Ukraine’s air defense and give it the ability to attack from the air as well, says docent of military sciences Ilmari Käihkö from the Swedish National Defense University. However, the arrival of fighter jets in Ukraine is not revolutionary.
– It is really important to keep expectations moderate. We have seen before how the new technology obtained by Ukraine has not ended the war, says Käihkö.
The training of pilots is failing
Pilot training has been in the headlines ever since fighter jets were first promised to Ukraine. The training started a year ago in the summer. In June, the American newspaper Politico reported from Ukrainians’ frustration with the slow progress of training.
According to Ukraine, it would have 30 pilots who would be immediately ready to go to training. However, according to Politico, the United States has announced that it cannot take more than 12 trainees at a time because it has entered into training agreements with other parties as well.
Käihkö also highlights the problems that occurred in education.
– Apparently, Ukrainians have not been accepted for training because they do not know English. Here, too, it could have been rocked here during the war and put people on a crash course, says Käihkö.
The armament of the fighters is not yet known
The F-16 fighter jets are also more advanced technology than what Ukraine has previously used in its air force. In addition to the training, Ukraine does not have previous knowledge of flying or maintaining them.
According to Käihkö, the fighter jets’ armament and what it can be used for is still in the dark.
– One big question mark is what Ukraine is allowed to do with these weapons. We know that there have always been political restrictions on the use of Ukraine’s armaments, Käihko states.
For example, the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated According to the Guardian on Wednesday that Ukraine can strike with British missiles on Russian territory, as long as this is done in a defensive manner. However, the Storm Shadow missiles in question are basically not suitable for the F-16 fighter to carry. Ukraine has previously launched Storm Shadow missiles with their old machines.
It is also not certain how many planes Ukraine will receive in the first batch on the way. The first batch arrives from Denmark and the Netherlands. Denmark has promised Ukraine 19 fighters, the Netherlands 24. Other countries have also promised to deliver F-16 fighters.