Posted on 04/04/2024 9:11:03 AM PDT by Mariner
Ukraine's long-awaited F-16s are an example of weapons systems that are "no longer relevant" once they end up in Kyiv's hands, a senior Ukrainian officer told Politico.
Russia has already learned how to counter F-16s in a way that would minimize their battlefield potential, said the unnamed officer, who, per Politico, worked under former Ukraine armed forces head Valery Zaluzhny.
In an article published on Wednesday, Politico's opinion editor Jamie Dettmer wrote that the outlet spoke to several top officers under the condition of anonymity.
One of Dettmer's sources was this officer, who lamented about the F-16s and said they were arriving too late to make a difference.
"Every weapon has its own right time. F-16s were needed in 2023; they won't be right for 2024," the officer said.
Dettmer wrote that the officer cited the F-16s as an example of how "we just don't get the weapons systems at the time we need them."
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
The obvious solution is to send more money to Zelensky’s Bahamian bank account.
The Ukies couldn't figure out what they were up to - until they realized that the Russians were ranging their weapons in preparation for the advent of the F-16s...
Russia would have shot down the F-16s in 2023 as well. They are no slouches at air defense. With the Ukrainians need are F-35s but America doesn’t want to give the Russians a learning opportunity or to see any of the the F-35s shot down either.
“The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent.”
― George Orwell, 1984
The F16 is 50 years old.
Give them back!
Exactly. Clearly Zelensky needs more American Tax Dollars when he exits YouCrayne.
1:14:20
Then we're told that some Western systems don't arrive when we need them, and then this person cites the example of the F-16s.
And we're told that a dozen or so F-16s [this is from the Politico] are expected to be operational this summer after basic pilot training has been completed, and then this officer - this is a Ukrainian officer - says every weapon has its own right time.
F-16s were needed in 2023. They won't be right for 2024. Russia is ready to counter them.
In the last few months, we started to notice missiles being fired by the Russians from Dzhankoi air base in Northern Crimea, but without explosive warheads.
We couldn't understand what they were doing and then we figured it out - they were range-finding.
The officer explained that Russia has been calculating where best to deploy its S400 missiles and radar systems in order to maximize the area they can cover to target the F-16s, keeping them away from the front lines and Russia's logistical hubs.
This is where Orwell was diametrically wrong.
The elites see the masses as irredeemably unintelligent, and hence DO want them to die in war, and for those that survive to NOT have nice things, to be uncomfortable, and to die an early death.
Great movie.
Still fighting to The Last Ukrainian Alive unless we get to the Last Middle Class American Taxpayer With Income, first.
A good gen 4 but still a target for improving missiles and detection. F-16 could never be on front line anymore. Defense only, chasing drones and cruise missiles.
That is why the phony Biden delayed delivering them. All he ever wanted was to let Putin wage war, not to acually deter him.
This is one example on why this war is a lot cause. We are not in any type of shape to fight here. This article from the US Naval Institute came out 2 days ago and shows the sad state of the LGB Defense Department:
F-16s could do very well. But not in the hands of Euros or Ukes. If the USAF with USAF crews were running an all out air war, including SEAD inside Russia, they could do very well. But the idea that they can operate as CAS or strike without an all out airwar to establish air supremacy would be criminally stupid.
DC is in the “Hitler with wonderweapons” mode. F-16s are damned good. Generally they are still better than an F-35 in almost every way.
An F-35 is “kinda stealth”, from the front quarter, from the rest it’s not at all stealth. If a 35 carries ANY external stores, it’s not stealth. If detected and forced into an air to air fight, it is defensive and cannot outrun, out turn, or out accelerate 4 or 4.5 fighters.
It’s strength is using it within a SYSTEM. With airborne command and control, networked with other platforms and missile truck jets, all supported by Wild Weasel SEAD, tankers, skilled ground crews and techs, protected by F-22s and F-15s. You could give Peru a batch of F-35s and the 1972 USAF/USN flying Phantom IIs would kill them all in an afternoon.
It’s silly to think just taking one element of our system and sending it into the Eastern Front is a game changer. F-16 or F-35 or whatever, our SYSTEM is what is deadly, not just one piece of gear, handed out to barely trained amateurs.
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