Posted on 01/20/2023 3:59:46 AM PST by RomanSoldier19
The Dutch Cabinet will look into supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if the Kyiv government asks for it. During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs said the Cabinet would look at such a request with an “open mind.” In Davos, Minister Kajsa Ollongren of Defense also said that the Netherlands is willing to help pay for modern Leopard 2 tanks that other countries send to Ukraine. “That is certainly something we are willing to do,” she told Bloomberg.
Hoekstra said there are “no taboos” for the delivery of regular equipment. Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (D66) asked the Cabinet to supply F16s and infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian armed forces. Many fear that Russia will launch another major offensive in the coming months.
(Excerpt) Read more at nltimes.nl ...
With the UA firing missiles into Poland, Belarus and residential apartments, giving them F-16 fighters and Leopard 2 tanks is like asking an infant to field strip an M60 machine gun.
I think the Dutch have only 1 company equipped with main battle tanks.
The Dutch, with 18 million people, have the equivalent of 1 division, organized into three brigades. (In comparison, the Germans, with 83 million people, have 2+ divisions; and, the Poles, with 38 million people, 4+ divisions.)
One of the three Dutch brigades has a combined German-Dutch tank battalion. This battalion is mostly German. I think the Dutch have one tank company in this battalion.
So, bottom line, I think the Dutch have tanks in storage from when they decommissioned most of their tank units.
Looking at the actual defense capabilities of Netherlands and Germany shows how meager are their defenses. They are obviously depending on the U.S. to defend them. They’re NOT meeting their NATO obligation to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense.
On the other hand, NATO isn’t an offensive alliance. Why should NATO countries have huge militaries?
Should we bring Ukraine into NATO, we might give consideration to set the NATO standard to 1.75 percent of GDP, except for members of the UN Security Council for which 2 percent should remain the standard. Poland and other front line countries will naturally spend more.
Also, I like the idea of Territorial Defense Forces (TDF). They are cheap compared to professional armies and truly are defense-oriented. NATO members should be able to fulfill part of their obligation with TDF. Poland and Lithuania, so far, are working TDF into their defense planning.
Ever see one of those Las Vegas suckers drunk on free booze, feeding the 5 dollar slot machines until they’re broke? That’s us.
Good info.
However, IMO, 2% is barely enough to field a credible defense, and one that would have to give considerable ground in the 1st half or so of a determined invasion, at that, even with assistance from the rest of NATO.
Question: Why does the US not produce a tank suitable for the plains of Europe & similar environments? Did no one foresee (for example) a sort of “in between” situation where NATO would be hesitant to use air power against Russian forces?
The Netherlands fly the F-16AM/BM. Here's a pic:
F-16AM/BM (Block 20) added some F-16C/D block 50/52 capabilities:
Improved AN/APG-66(V)3 radar with added CW mode to guide two types of BVR missiles – AIM-7M Sparrow missiles and AIM-120 AMRAAM.
Carriage of AGM-84 Harpoon missiles.
Carriage of the LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods.
Carriage of HARMs
Significantly improved computers.
Color Multi-Function Displays (MFD).
.
All UKR pilots must speak English as mandated by ICAO.
Transitioning a qualified MiG pilot to the F-16AM should take a maximum of 2 months.
F-16s are much easier to maintain than the Russian junk.
A maintainer connects a specialized computer to the aircraft and the F-16 computer downloads all pertinent information, including any LRUs that need replacing.
LRU spares are the key to keeping the F-16s flying.
Maintenance training is probably the pacing item.
.
I hope the armament package include all of the high tech weapons listed above, as well as JDAMs and LGBs.
F-16s are highly accurate GP bomb droppers.
The M1 WAS designed for the plains of Europe, specifically Germany. It was the outcome of the joint US-German MBT-70 project. The other tank that came out of that is the German Leopard II.
The M1 and the Leopard II share quite a lot of “DNA”.
Pardon me for intruding into the boosterism, but besides all the great weapons we can throw away, how at this point do we end this war?
From the Russian point of view, Ukraine has become a beligeriant force on their border. Imagine swapping Mexico for Iran or North Korea. We can argue all day over who started it, but that’s the reality today.
Many say “If the Russian just leave...” and that is a fallacy. Russia can no more leave than Rome could just let Carthage exist. Both sides have built this into the a good/bad struggle.
We know that Ukraine demands lands returned and compensation for the war, and a passive Russian government.
Russia wants the land it has captured, and a change of leadership to a neutral demilitarized state.
As with the example above with Mexico, there is no way we would ever accept defeat - and neither will the Russians. All of these high-tech weapons are provocations and will not change the outcome.
But it will the make defeat much more bitter for the west. And perhaps that’s the outcome our leaders want.
The Dutch will also offer them assisted suicide...
We know that Trump wants them to get at least MiG jets, but I think Biden has held them up.
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