Former British Air Commander Makes The Case For Sending Fighter Jets To Ukraine

Radio Free Europe ^ | February 08, 2023 18:10 | Vazha Tavberidze

[Zhang Fei]

Now, in terms of the military impact, an F-16 is still a very capable platform: It has a good radar, it can fly well above the majority of the Russian sound systems in the area apart from the very, very specialized ones. It has a weapons system tied to that radar that can engage the vast majority of Russian aircraft long before they can attack it. The F-16 doesn't have quite the same stealth characteristics of something like an F-35 and an F-22. But I've fought against the F-16. I've had the odd trip in one, but I've also fought against it. It's tiny, it's hard to see on radar, it's even harder to see in the air with the naked eye. The F-16 is not called a viper for no reason. It's a vicious, nasty, dangerous little airplane.

If I was a Russian pilot with 100 hours training in an aircraft that I'm a little bit nervous about whether my weapons really work because I've never been allowed to use them in training or in wartime, I am going to be shit scared of getting airborne and wondering whether there's an F-16 up there.

And it's going to change the way they approach [the war]. If we can take Russian air power and limit its influence on the battlefield and over Ukraine in general, that gives Ukraine breathing space, that's then going to allow the combined arms effect of the artillery, the HIMARS (High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), the tanks, and everything else to operate as well as it already has done. And this time do it without any concern about what's above. The combination of those two things will be hugely powerful and ultimately will make most Russians realize that they can't win....

[familyop]

"Just another past his prime man who never got the hot war he thinks he was deprived of. There is no shortage of people who risk nothing that want war."

Why are you insulting the service of older veterans?

[A strike]

“And Ukrainian pilots can take off and land in the guest countries of their choosing.”
Which makes those countries belligerents right?
Expand the war much genius ?!

-fJRoberts-

[familyop]

And why is anyone advocating for Putin against NATO and the USA here?

While reading headlines in a news aggregator, I noticed some communist headlines in contrast against the many more reasonable, conservative ones. Those headlines were linked to the following site.

Here are some of today's headlines from the World Socialist Web Site:

---

Sosyalist Eşitlik Grubu's Ulaş Ateşçi calls for a vote for the SGP: “An international movement against the war must be built in the working class and youth!”

Berlin Transit Workers Action Committee: Against war and social devastation! Vote for the SGP!

Seymour Hersh’s exposure of the Nord Stream bombing: A lesson and a warning

Roger Waters delivers impassioned speech at the UN demanding an end to the war in Ukraine

Biden covers up plans for US shooting war against Russia in State of the Union address

February 5, 2003: Colin Powell and the lie that sanctioned the invasion of Iraq

Gregor Link: “We fight for a united international movement of the working class against the war and against capitalism”

Hundreds attend Socialist Equality Party rally in Berlin against Ukraine war and German militarism

“We don't want this war!”: Participants at Berlin rally organised by SGP speak out

SGP Berlin state elections candidate Rippert: “It is necessary to combine the struggle against social austerity with the struggle against war!”

International greetings at SGP anti-war rally in Berlin: “This rally is of enormous importance to workers in all countries.”

Christoph Vandreier: “We unite workers across all borders in the fight against war”

1Former NATO general to be next Czech president

Support the Socialist Equality Party in the NSW election! No to War! Lives before profits! Billions for healthcare and education!

Stepping up US war preparations against China, Victoria Nuland visits South Asia

Musician Steve Van Zandt propagandizes for imperialist war

Roger Waters delivers impassioned speech at the UN demanding an end to the war in Ukraine

F-16 fighters: The next stage in the relentless US military escalation against Russia

Howard University awarded $90 million contract to conduct military research for the Pentagon Howard University’s bid to become one of the Pentagon’s higher education affiliates means it will be dedicated to the development of the US military’s killing machines.

Zelensky government in turmoil amidst reports of impending Russian offensive

US sends long-range missiles to Ukraine

An anti-war movement must be led by the working class

A call to youth throughout the world: Build a mass movement to stop the Ukraine war!

Humboldt University students in Berlin support call for an international mass movement against war

Youth, students and workers in Australia and New Zealand support global IYSSE anti-war webinar

Campaign for December 10 rally to build international anti-war movement reaches students across Canada

Mobilise the working class against imperialist war!

The working class and the struggle against European imperialism’s drive to war

Timeline of thirty years of war: the historical background to the US-NATO conflict with Russia

America’s “New World Order”— The historical and social roots of US plans for war with Russia and China

[buwaya]

Along the way, after Wilson set the pots of nationalism bubbling all over (You don’t get that in the pathetic US education system. A heck of a lot of this is your fault you know.), you had such things as WWII, the Cold War, the Pax Americana, and you ended up riding that tiger, as global cop. And you cant get off, because that tiger...

What the world is, now, is the result of masses of decisions of your leadership over a hundred years. You cant fantasize your way out if it. The Germans tried. See where it got them.

[buwaya]

Yes very much as the USSR was in 1950-53.
Or China pre Nixon and Kissinger. And case after case.

[EEGator]

Are you saying that I’m advocating for Putin against NATO?
I can’t answer questions about what other men/women that I don’t know think.

Last I checked, Ukraine isn’t a part of NATO.
Second, I advocate for the US minding its business for once.
That’s not being on “Putin’s side”.
How much does the US spend on its military vs Russia?
Who is demographically dying between US and Russia?
Whose military is designed for force projection?
I have no clue why you’re spamming me with a bunch of random headlines.

[EEGator]

At least your honest about your hatred of the US, so there’s that.

[buwaya]

To the contrary!
I am an agent of the Spanish inquisition.
We ARE much nicer these days. We just force you to wear funny hats and make you listen to EU bureaucrats drone on for months on end.

[Brian Griffin]

Russian military pilots have expected to face F-16s for decades.

Russian air-to-air missiles and guns are probably generally comparable to those of the US.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

You idiotic Europeans would.

[Brian Griffin]

“most Russians realize that they can’t win....”

The Russians will get most of what they want from Kiev or Ukraine will receive most of what Russian non-nuclear weapons can do.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Do we have to watch the bumming of the castratii choir or is this that just for you euroweenies?

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Yep, you just got nervous and sent the falseto out. Better get rid of the sopranos

[DesertRhino]

He isn’t. There are a lot of those idiots who feel cheated out of the big game they wanted. It’s very real. They can’t get over that the USSR disbanded 30 years ago and abandoned communism.

And DC and the neocons laugh at how easy it is to manipulate them.

[Taxman]

Ping

[familyop]

"Last I checked, Ukraine isn’t a part of NATO."

I'm looking more at the Kremlin's buildup and intentions and hope that we can avoid passively allowing our United States soil to be nuked in a much larger way in the near future.

"Second, I advocate for the US minding its business for once."

After all of the threats and anti-US propaganda from the rulers in Russia over the past 20 years or so? I see the problem becoming a threat to us in the near future, whether we stay out of it now or not.

"That’s not being on 'Putin’s side'.

I don't understand the logic of that under the circumstances, but I'll take your word for it. The Russian despots will be more likely to attack us in particular, if we stay out of it. They're bullies. They prepare and attack nations that stay out of it. They choose their victims the same way that a schoolyard bully chooses his victims.

"How much does the US spend on its military vs Russia?"

Much more in terms of dollars (currency exchange and the low ruble), but Russia is now spending about a third of its revenues on its military forces including its nuclear force buildup. Putin has been implying nuclear threats against us for more than a decade.

"Who is demographically dying between US and Russia?"

Russia's population is less than half what it was during the later part of the Cold War. Our population is closer to the size of Russia's population during the Cold War.

"Whose military is designed for force projection?"

Ours.

"I have no clue why you’re spamming me with a bunch of random headlines."

Those headlines and more were posted at the World Socialist Web Site yesterday. Both the communist left and right fringes of our political parties agree with each other on allowing Russian aggression and so many publicly stated threats against the existence of the American people and the Russian, Chinese, Iranian and North Korean nuclear forces buildups to carry out those threats.

[familyop]

From the many bits of news over the past few weeks, it’s become obvious that various western fighter aircraft are part of the plan for Ukraine for the near future. NATO nations are working through the details.

[familyop]

They’ll keep fighting, until they get the aircraft.

89% of Ukrainians want to keep fighting even after Russian nuclear strike
https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/02/11/89-of-ukrainians-want-to-keep-fighting-even-after-russian-nuclear-strike/

[Fresh Wind]

Another TV general.

[ops33]

“Russian sound systems”

What is that?