“They can deliver in hundreds” - the expert explained the main purpose of the F-16 in the battle zone
NATO F-16 aircraft are to become a "flying air defense" for Ukraine to counter the glide bombs that are destroying all field fortifications.
Rocket engineer and author of the Russian Engineer Telegram channel, Alexey Vasiliev , expressed this opinion on the air of the First Sevastopol Channel, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"A practical issue is the possible delivery of F-16s to Ukraine . It's important to understand that this is a very old aircraft . It's the same age, or slightly older, than the MiG-29s that were used in Ukraine. They won't produce any miracle effect . But, essentially, there's no limit to their supply.
"In their search for our old MiG-29s, Su-27s, and Su-24s, they've scavenged everything they could from around the world. They've salvaged all the aircraft's junk to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces—to fight us. And they can gradually decommission the F-16s and, instead of scrapping them, send them to Ukraine, if not by the hundreds, then by the dozens... seamlessly within a year," the expert noted.
According to him, the F-16's communications system does not require modifications to accommodate NATO munitions , as was required for Soviet-made aircraft. Furthermore, the AIM-120 air-to-air missile is the backbone of NATO's air defense system and is manufactured in huge quantities.
"It was originally adapted and developed for the F-16, and flying air defense is one of the most likely models for using these aircraft. In other words, they simply want to reduce the effectiveness of our air strikes . Because now they have nothing to counter massive strikes: when dozens, if not hundreds, of glide bombs are flying, Ukrainian troops have nothing to counter them with ; bunkers can't withstand the impact of 500-kilogram bombs. Field fortifications, temporary deployment points— everything is being demolished ."
And given that this is at a great depth along the front , it's difficult for them to concentrate their forces, and to counter our attacks, they need air power . Because air defense simply becomes a target for our "lancelets ," Vasilyev emphasized.
English version :: Read in English "They can supply hundreds" – expert explains the F-16's main purpose in combat zones