Belgium Promises First F-16 Fighters and $1 Billion to Ukraine This Year

Breitbart ^ | 05/28/2024 | BREITBART LONDON

[ChicagoConservative27]

BRUSSELS (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a second $1 billion promise of military aid in as many days Tuesday during a whirlwind tour of three European Union countries, while President Vladimir Putin warned that hitting Russian soil with Western-supplied weapons could set the war on a dangerous new path.

The aid pledge for 2024 came from Belgium, which topped up the money with a commitment to give Ukraine 30 F-16 fighter jets in the next four years.

“Our task is to use the first F-16 on the battlefield this year and in such way fortify our positions,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelensky Vows Russia Will Feel ‘Wrath’ of Ukraine With Arrival of Western F-16 Fighter Jets in New Yearhttps://t.co/zpgv4ICuOe

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 1, 2024

[ChicagoConservative27]

Who in the hell is going to them how to use the F-16 fighters? Belgium going to send ground crews to fix and teach?? This is very going to end it seems.

[V_TWIN]

Not to mention all the support equipment needed to maintain the aircraft....and THAT equipment requires maintenance and special training as well.

[ChicagoConservative27]

*Never going to end

[Signalman]

The F-16 was originally built by US defense contractor General Dynamics. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to Lockheed Corporation, which later became part of Lockheed Martin and took over F-16 development.

[Not_Who_U_Think]

So, NATO has given nodding approval to the attacks on Russian early-warning radars, and now they are going to sponsor flying nuclear capable fighters into the war zone.

I think the next level will be action against our surveillance drones. After that, satellites. Then...

[PIF]

Who in the hell is going to [ show ] them how to use the F-16 fighters?

-
Both the pilots and the maintenance crews have been in training since last year - the first batch is due in Ukraine soon.

[PIF]

I think the next level will be action against our surveillance drones.

—
They have attacked or tried to attack our surveillance drones at least twice now - both incidents happened last year over the Black Sea.

[Seruzawa]

F16s are designed as a less expensive air superiority fighter. The ground attack role was added later with a targeting pod. As such the Falcon is extremely vulnerable to ground fire. To be used effectively they are part of a combined arms strategy. Weasels or choppers are used, as in Desert Storm, to suppress AA fire before the vulnerable Falcons are used. Send them in alone and you won’t see them again. Russian SAMs and 23mm AA are deadly

[Alter Kaker]

Who is going to show them how to use the F-16? We already have.

First Ukrainian Pilots Graduate From US F-16 Training

[Alter Kaker]

I seriously doubt that Ukraine plans to use F-16s over Russian or even contested territory. Instead, these are stand-off weapons capable of lobbing cruise missiles from a safe distance. But also, if the planes light up Russian long range air defenses, those can be targeted by anti-radiation missiles and ATACMS.

[Seruzawa]

So basically they won’t be used much. All this requires counting on the Russians to be incredibly stupid.