Russian air defence systems will destroy Western F-16 fighter jets planned to be delivered to the AFU from the Netherlands, retired US military officer Daniel Davis has said.
“Perhaps most importantly, the aircraft is vulnerable to Russian air defence installations such as the S-300 or S-400. It would also be at a disadvantage in aerial combat against Russian Su-35 fighters,” he said in an article for 19FortyFive.
Davis said the F-16’s potential can only be unlocked as part of an integrated air defence network. He also noted the complexity and cost of maintaining Western fighter jets to keep them operational.
“There are many logistical and tactical obstacles to deploying them in this country, and Russia’s countermeasures against the F-16s would be too effective,” the columnist added.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev would receive 42 F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and 19 from Denmark.
According to the head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Oleksiy Reznikov, the minimum delivery period for the F-16s will be 6-7 months.
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