Ukraine received the first batch of F-16 supersonic fighter jets from the US last week, which could be decisive in its dispute with Russia. As explained by g1, the model is 50 years old and has the nickname “viper” due to its high precision and speed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking the US, which manufactures the F-16s, to send the aircraft to his territory since the start of the war just over two years ago.
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US President Joe Biden had initially rejected the idea, given its costs and delay, as Ukrainian pilots would need training. However, external pressure and the delay in ending the conflict led Biden to authorize the sending of 45 units initially.
Hunting is used in several countries around the world (Image: Disclosure/Lockheed Martin)
On Wednesday (10), Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, reported that the F-16s are being sent to Ukrainian territory and “will cross the skies of Ukraine soon”.
As a result, for months, European countries allied with the US and Ukraine have been receiving Ukrainian pilots so that they can be trained to fly supersonic jets.
What is the F-16, the supersonic fighter that could define the war between Russia and Ukraine?
The F-16 began flying in 1976 and has been used in over 25 countries; It can operate with up to six air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles; Its cabin has a wide viewing angle, with one or two seats; It has radar and electronic countermeasures modules; It also has a 20 mm cannon with 500 rounds. Its ammunition is conventional air-to-air and air-to-ground; When empty, the F-16 weighs 8.94 tons; Its range, without refueling, is 860 km; The aircraft’s flight ceiling is 15 km; Its maximum speed is Mach 2 (about 2,470 km/h); It is 14.8 m long and 9.8 m wide; It is built by the giant Lockheed Martin in partnership with companies in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway (the latter four would be willing to supply their fighters to Ukraine, according to a high-ranking Ukrainian official in an interview with The New York Times); It costs US$ 63 million (R$ 341.72, in direct conversion) depending on the model; About three thousand of them serve military services around the world, hundreds of them in the US Air Force and Navy; It has served the US in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and national defense missions on US territory.
The F-16 is an agile, fast model with great defensive and destructive capabilities. They could be decisive in the conflict, as they will replace dozens of Ukrainian planes that are partially or totally damaged.
Not to mention that the Russian fleet of warplanes was already superior: 1,160 compared to Ukraine’s 125. However, what weighs (a lot) in favor of the F-16 is its great agility and versatility, as it was designed for low flights.
Since the beginning of the invasion, Ukraine has been unable to conduct aerial battles against its enemy, thus allowing Russia to advance. To try to remedy the situation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have invested in the use of drones to attack.
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One of the main tactics devised by Russian President Vladimir Putin is to airstrike Ukraine’s national power grid, bringing blackouts and destabilizing the local government. But with the F-16s, this can be avoided.
The aircraft is also capable of carrying out good counterattacks, as it can be launched in seconds with up to six missiles and a cannon with a capacity of 500 rounds, not counting rockets and bombs, capable of shooting down planes and missiles.
It can also hit ships and land targets, as it not only deals with conflicts in the air, but also with what happens on the ground while it is flying.
One example occurred in Afghanistan in 2001, according to Lockheed Martin. A U.S. military pilot was on a reconnaissance flight in an F-16 when he was attacked by Afghan insurgents.
The pilot would have not only escaped the ambush with the quick maneuvers that the plane can perform, but also hit his enemy’s aircraft.
At 50 years old, the F-16 continues to be updated and faces the Russian fleet (Image: Disclosure/ US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz)
And Russia, what does it think about the fighter?
On the Russian side, there is concern about the F-16, as it was designed specifically to combat aircraft from the then Soviet Union. It was conceived as a reaction to the creation of the powerful Soviet MiG-25 warplane, which can fly at three times the speed of sound.
Naturally, Putin was not happy to learn of the possibility of having F-16s in combat in Ukraine. In 2023, he promised to respond “colossally” to the country and the West if the planes reached enemy territory.
Another Russian concern is that the F-16 has not become obsolete. On the contrary: it has been updated and is now a rival to the Russian fleet currently in use. It has even launched resources that have been applied to civil aviation.
