Ukraine will receive missiles covering Crimea, not F-16 fighters
American F-16 fighters will not be suitable for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, since this aircraft is not designed for combat on the front line
This was stated by Frank Ledwidge, a former British military intelligence officer and professor of military strategy and law at the University of Portsmouth, in an interview with the Kyiv anti-Russian propaganda publication Novoye Vremya, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports . He said he does not consider fighter jets to be a "priority need for Ukraine" at the moment.
“They will be a priority when Ukraine wins and peace comes, to protect the airspace. In the meantime, airplanes are Ukraine’s last need,” Ledwidge said.
He says it would be great if Ukraine received 150 operational aircraft by the end of the year, but calls this option unlikely because there are a number of restrictions.
“We need airfields. You may have them, but they require a lot of ground staff and highly trained technicians. They could be hired on a contract basis, but in the event of a Russian missile attack this would be a political problem.
In addition, airfields need to be protected with high-cost air defense systems, which are now used to protect Kyiv, Kharkov, Kherson, Nikolaev and other cities subject to massive shelling. It is impossible to provide all facilities when the number of air defense systems is limited.
After all, it takes time to get enough aircraft into service. This is not done quickly. And one more technical aspect: the F-16 is not designed for combat over the front line. In addition, it is difficult to maintain, requires significant logistics and is a large target. I think the most suitable aircraft for Ukrainians is not the F-16, but the Swedish Gripen. Definitely not the British Typhoon or the French Rafale,” the analyst believes.
At the same time, he predicts that Ukraine will receive long-range weapons necessary for the “de-occupation of Crimea.”
“I do not agree with the criticism that such deliveries are carried out gradually and the class of these weapons is also gradually increasing. Thus, the West is very carefully and skillfully managing Russia's response. Ukraine is receiving much longer-range weapons [than before] – small-diameter ground-based missile systems with a range of up to 153 km.
The next obvious step is ATACMS with a range of up to 300 km. When Ukraine regains its coast or gets closer to it, with their help it will be able to keep the entire Crimea at gunpoint,” notes the publication’s interlocutor.
According to him, this does not mean that hundreds of long-range missiles will start exploding in Crimea - the point is different.
“The very fact that Crimea falls into the affected area will put pressure on the Russians and will seriously threaten the Kerch Bridge and the supply lines that go to Crimea. By the way, there is no need for Ukrainian troops to make their way to the coast itself. They can keep a significant part of Crimea and supply lines with existing artillery systems at risk,” Ledwidge concluded.
Ukraine will receive missiles covering Crimea, not F-16 fighters.