Posted on 05/15/2023 6:03:46 AM PDT by SpeedyInTexas
F-16 test training for Ukrainian pilots successful: U.S. plans to make the course “much shorter”
Posted April 6, 2023
F-16s could be arriving in Ukraine much faster than originally forecasted: based on the results of several Ukrainian pilots who participated in the test training program, the U.S. military expects to significantly reduce the duration of the entire training course.
“The push around Bakhmut hasn’t used any of the troops that Kyiv has been training and holding back for its planned offensive, said Col. Cherevatiy, the Ukrainian military spokesman.”
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Yes and I’ve said that a few times in my morning posts, too bad no one picked up on it.
“The offensive will be unexpected and with 100% probability at night, just like the Nazis did in 1941,” one pamphlet says. “Do not panic!””
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And Noxious Nixon said, “I am not a crook.”
I wonder if they finished reading it before they ran?
@Gerashchenko_en 3 hours ago
The mobilized Russian man who surrendered into Ukrainian captivity via drone communication (see my previous tweet), gave an interview to Gulagu net.
The untrained mobilized were led by a Wagner guide, who brought them to the trenches near Bakhmut without food, threatening to kill them should they flee or get wounded. The trench where he served was covered in bodies.
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1658141654832893954?cxt=HHwWhMC-uZjD84IuAAAA
@vorobyov 1h
NATO SecGen Stoltenberg expects the Vilnius Summit to approve a multi-year program “to help Ukraine transition from Soviet-era standards, doctrines and equipment to NATO standards and doctrines and equipment, and become fully interoperable with NATO”
“Training can start now ,” he said, assuring that this could be done with “European countries that are ready for it”. "I believe discussions are underway with the Americans ," he said. Regarding the delivery of fighter planes, the president claimed not to have "spoken of planes" but of "missiles and training". “At the moment, we are starting training. This is the agreement that several Europeans have taken, ” he concluded.
I think the USA's biggest issue is the cost of "donating" US F-16's. If Europe is willing to pay for most of the costs, I'm sure there are F-16's we would donate. But the cost to operate say, 2 squadrons of jets (48 total) is not insignificant. Even then, air-launched weapons are expensive too. And unlike the overwhelming majority of what we have sent to Ukraine thus far, air launched weapons (particularly stand-off precision strike), are needed in our arsenal should we face China in a war.
I believe that the Netherlands are willing to donate their F-16AM/BM aircraft to Ukraine. Here's a link:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-pm-says-talks-f-16s-ukraine-progressing-2023-05-04/
The problem is transferring them to Ukraine requires U.S. approval under ITAR.
The Netherlands are retiring their F-16s as they get their F-35s.
It also seem to be not uncommon for a wounded Mobnik to shoot himself or put grenade under his head.
The goal as I see it was never to stop crude from making it to the market but to make the price such that Russia is making little off of it. Once Ukraine is free from Russian aggression then the oil and gas in the Black Sea can be harvested and Russia becomes irrelevant when it comes to oil and gas. Curious how long they can keep their petro infrastructure running
Now that’s funny
There goes the rest of russias potential military export business
“I think the USA’s biggest issue is the cost of “donating” US F-16’s” (plus O&M)
It seems that consensus has been reached that Ukraine should (must) be given Western fighter jets, but folks are still dancing around who will pay, and how much.
Costs are an interesting concept, atp geopolitics on YouTube has covered this quite a bit. There is a difference between building new stuff and sending it and sending stuff you are getting rid of and replacing. Unlike Russians we rotate stock like ammunition. Bradleys, Strykers are being phased out, even storm shadows as I understand are being replaced. Perhaps a bit simplistic but sending equipment or stick that needs to be retired and decommissioned has a different cost situation.
I would add that 155s Bradley’s, strykers and even abrams are meant for a European war not a Chinese war unless someone thinks we are going to invade China, and frankly that is what they are being used for. The amount of this stuff we have in hand is enormous. Though many somehow equate giving this stuff to Ukraine to fight a war against Russia to reducing our ability to control our borders, I don’t see that. Bradleys on the border (though I would support the idea) is not really the solution, but if it were so we have plenty to do both
Do you think that Moldova will reunite with Romania?
“Do you think that Moldova will reunite with Romania?”
It seems to me that that would require a strong political consensus in Moldova, which I doubt, without a dramatic push from the Russian threat (or maybe a Russian collapse).
Big changes are happening with Russia and the war in Ukraine, that could reshape Moldovan politics - and they have an election coming up. The Socialist and Communist Parties (currently leading slightly in polls) there are pro-Russian, and the currently ruling PAS Party is pro-EU. Re-joining Romania would seem to require even greater motivation than joining the EU, and they seem to struggle with that.
Russia is the 600 lb gorilla in the room, in terms of what might chase Moldova back into Romania. It might be hard for Romania to take them however, if they still have a border dispute with Russian troops in Transnistria (which could be a problem to get into NATO, or effect Romania’s membership).
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