F-16 fighter jets go fit help Ukraine war against Russia?

Ukraine dey put into service di first batch of F-16 combat jets wey Western kontris don give dem. Dem expect to receive 65 of dem ova di course of 2024 and 2025.

For over two years, di kontri leaders don dey ask Western kontris to provide dem wit US-made plane.

However, e get concerns say too few F-16s na im dem dey supply to make a major difference for Ukraine war against Russia.

Why e dey take so long to deliver F-16s to Ukraine?

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky first ask Western nations to give am F-16s – a supersonic fighter aircraft – soon afta Russia invasion for February 2022. E bin want dem to keep Russian combat jets out of Ukraine skies and to give im forces air supremacy.

Four European nations – Belgium, Denmark, di Netherlands and Norway - offer to donate some of di F-16s dem bin don buy from di US.

However, US President Joe Biden bin dey nervous say to give Ukraine such advanced and powerful planes go antagonise Russia, and na only for August 2023 dem give di European kontris permission to re-export dem.

Di four kontris dey hand ova F-16s as dem replace am for dia air forces wit more advanced F-35 combat jet.

Di first batch of planes, believed to number 10, bin dey delivered to Ukraine at di end of July 2024.

Western nations don pledge to give Ukraine some 65 F-16s in total. E be like say some of dose go dey delivered bifor di end of dis year, and di rest by di end of 2025.

Di length of time e dey take to deliver di planes to Ukraine dey caused not by a shortage of F-16s, but by a shortage of trained pilots, na so Professor Justin Bronk from di London-based military think-tank, di Royal United Services Institute tok.

“E take four to five months to train a pilot to fly an F-16, and years to learn all di techniques wey dey needed to fly dem in combat,” e tok.

“Ukraine expect Western kontris to train hundreds of dia pilots all at once, but dem simply no get dat kain capacity.”

How Ukraine fit use dia F-16s?

Di F-16, wey dem introduce into service in 1978, dey designed to fire missiles and to intercept enemy aircraft. E fit also provide close support for ground forces by attacking enemy lines.

However, as Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University in Scotland tok, “Ukraine go use di F-16s mostly for defence".

F-16s dey equipped wit air-to-air missiles, wey im say fit dey used to defend against Russian air attacks on Ukrainian forces and civilian targets. Dem go work alongside Ukraine existing air defence systems, such as dia ground-to-air missile batteries.

“Di missiles wey di US dey supply Ukraine for dia F-16s dey relatively modern,” Prof Bronk tok. “Dem no be di most advanced wey dem get, but dem suppose dey able to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones.”

“Ukrainian citizens go welcome di F-16s if dem fit prevent Russian missiles from damaging power stations and oda heating facilities, so dat dem go keep warm for di coming winter.” Prof O’Brien tok.

F-16s also dey equipped wit air-to-ground missiles, wey dem fit use to attack Russian army command centres and supply depots from long range, Prof Bronk tok.

“However,” e say, “di F-16s go probably no dey used to provide close support to Ukrainian troops on di battlefield. Russian air defences dey too strong for dem to get dat near to di front lines.”

And F-16 armaments fit get difficulty to shoot down glide bombs, wey Russia dey increasingly use to attack Ukrainian troops and cities, Prof O’Brien tok.

Di West dey give Ukraine enof F-16s?

Di Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), one ogbonge think tank for US, don publish one report say Ukraine need many more dan di 65 or so F-16s dem dey get for di planes to make a significant difference in di war.

E say di F-16s suppose dey used not only to defend against Russian air attacks but also to attack Russian air defences for Ukraine, and to clear Russian aircraft such as helicopters from di battlefields.

“Ukraine need close to 12 fighter squadrons to achieve di air support wey dey needed for di war on ground,” according to di CSIS report. “Dis aim go require 216 F-16s, wit 18 aircraft for each squadron.”

However, as Prof Bronk tok, Western air forces go only hand ova F-16s to Ukraine once dem don replace dem and retire dem from service.

“Dis na only di start," e tok. "To build up Ukraine F-16 fleet go be a long-term project.”