2023-05-22 14:17:00
With the announcement of opening the door to supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and giving allied countries the green light from America, talk began regarding the extent of their impact on the course of the war and their comparison with the fighters that Russia possesses, although the task of delivering them may take several months, not to mention the obstacles. others that get in the way.
The Russian army owns thousands of war fighters, some of which are used in its air forces and other types used by dozens of armies around the world following they have proven effective in many air wars over the decades, which raises a question regarding the extent of the F-16’s ability to change the course of the war?
The Russian Air Force consists of a huge variety of warplanes, which number regarding 4,182 warplanes, according to the American “globalfirepower” website.
The most prominent Russian fighters
It also includes some of the most dangerous Russian fighters, including the multi-tasking Su-27 and MiG-29, in addition to the fifth-generation stealth fighter Su-57, according to the American magazine “nationalinteres”.
For example, the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter represents one of the most dangerous war fighters, which will be able to impose complete air dominance over the battlefields in future wars.
The Su-35 is also considered one of the most dangerous air dominance fighters in the world, as it was designed to destroy all air targets at long range, in addition to being a first-class interceptor fighter.
F-16 fighters (AB)
While the “Mig-31” fighters are considered one of the fastest war fighters in the world, and their manufacture dates back to the Cold War era, and they can destroy American bombers and supersonic aircraft, and operate as an air defense aircraft platform when necessary.
The F-16 is fast and agile
However, Russia still fears the F-16 fighters for several reasons, as the plane has extraordinary features, as it is one of the best jet fighters in the world, as it is very fast and agile.
The fighter has some shortcomings in range and payload compared to larger twin-engine fighters such as the F-15 Eagle, but its cost is less than half that of regarding $18 million in 1999 ($27 million in 2017 dollars).
Today, the F-16 remains the most popular aircraft in modern military service. Of the 4,500 produced, approximately 2,700 are still in service in approximately twenty-six countries.
Sukhoi 35
The single-engine fighter also benefited from new design techniques to increase kinematic performance. The powerful Pratt & Whitney F100 engine can generate an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio due to the fighter’s overall lightness, pushing it to twice the speed of sound at high altitude.
Su-35 rival
In a simple comparison with its Russian counterpart, the Su-35, the F-16 is still a powerful fighter, but potential enemies have caught up with it. The latest Russian aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-35 can match or surpass it in many respects.
However, retired Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton has another opinion. In an interview with VOA, he touched on the advantages of the F-16 over Russian and Soviet planes.
Hampton noted that while the F-16 can dramatically change the course of a conflict, pilot skill is also essential.
Sukhoi Su-57
He also praised the aircraft, noting that it is a versatile machine and that everything inside is so modular that when developing new technology, users only need to remove the old box and replace it.
He referred to the Su-35 as “junk” and said that no matter how beautiful its design is, the plane is not capable, pointing out that it looks excellent in air shows.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian president obtained new pledges of military equipment, including F-16 fighters, in addition to “steady” diplomatic support from the G7 countries in Hiroshima, Japan.
So who will prevail if dozens of advanced American fighter jets really reach the hands of the Ukrainians?
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