| In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled What It Takes to Fly the F-16: Challenges for Ukraine, Right_Wing_Madman wrote: |
The Ukrainians were pretending the planes would leave Romainia and land/refuel/arm in one of their air bases, which is just not feasible
Neocons can't read a map. Ukraine is a large country. The F-16 can't reach Donbass from Rumania, and the front is out of range from Kiev! |
I went to an old thread (at the bottom of this post) and pulled some of my notes on the video to put here re the F-16's. You are of course correct about the distance from Ukraine and the front.
I believe Mercouris (from my notes on the video) is saying they are pretending they will refuel/re arm in Ukraine, but they really are trying to cross Putin's red line regarding basing those planes in Romania. That plan was abandoned after the obvious problems with it became common points of discussion. I thought Mercouris did a good job stressing the distance limitations for the F-16 and the lack of sufficient air defense means the donated F-16's would have to be based near the front to be able to strike, but that location would be vulnerable to Russia's bombs. What a farce.
~~BELOW THIS LINE - MY NOTES ON THE VIDEO (linked at the end)~~
Mercouris asks, "What about the project to park F-16's outside the Ukraine? Because they (approx 60 of them)would be vulnerable to destruction in the Urkaine, they will be moved to the rear. Most of them are to be parked in Romainia. Supposedly they they go into battle, they will take off from 'secure' air bases in Romainia and fly to Ukrainian air bases being attacked by Russia, and defended with NASAMS and PATRIOTS. Once they reach the Ukrainian air bases, the F-16's will be re-equipped (air to air missiles, other kinds of weapons) and refueled there and then they will be sent into battle against the Russians. Mercouris notes that even he, with such little knowledge of air to air combat, knows how problematic, indeed how ridiculous, this plan is. Mercouris believes that despite denials, the F-16's are to be operated from the Romanian airbases, without the transit to Ukrainian air bases supposedly under fire, that there will be the need for air defense systems in the Ukraine, but the main air base from which the F-16's will operate will be the one in Romainia.
[ransomnote: I suspect the pilots taking off from Romainia will be NATO pilots. Just a guess. Also, Mercouris and others have made the point that the F-16's would require the construction of air strips which must be kept pristine to avoid debris being sucked into the aircrafts' intake, parts and trained personel for repairs not feasible for the Ukraine; it was always a ruse.]
[ransomnote: In a prior post on FR I reviewed descriptions of the planes that Russia flies (incl SU-27) vs the aircraft the Ukraine flies or has been given (most modern are F-16's) and there is a significant mismatch.
Also, although the Ukraine claims all its pilots are former experienced fighter pilots, others say some are new to flying, and the group is struggling with English in regards to flying F-16's, and there's not enough spaces in American training programs for many of the pilots this year.]
According to Mercouris, the Russians have said that if they find F-16 fighter jets taking off from Romanian bases and engaging them over the skies of the Ukraine, they will strike back and hit those aircraft in those Romainian bases.
Mercouris: "So this is another formula to escalate the war. It's the only way that this can end. Again the West is dancing with an incredibly dangerous situation. It was why, I think, some people in the Pentagon thought it was a bad idea to supply Ukraine with F-16's at all; because they could work it out; they could see what the problems were, and they realized that the only way that the F-16's at all was if they were deployed in precisely this way. "