The F-16 jets promised by Ukraine's allies will provide Ukraine with a new ability to regain air supremacy. "The arrival of a large number of F-16s would give Ukraine air superiority to protect its advanced Ukrainian forces from Russian attacks*** and gliding bombs," said the commander-in-chief of Ukraine, General Zaluzhny.
With the arrival of F-16 warplanes and long-range cluster munitions in Ukraine, "every Russian target" in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory will be within Ukraine's range of attack. The F-16 is equipped with more modern avionics and a better radar. Unlike Ukraine, which reluctantly launches NATO missiles using Soviet-style warplanes, the F-16 supports Ukraine in long-range operations, making it easier to destroy Russia's ground defenses and deter Russian aircraft.
Russia is concerned about the imminent arrival of F-16 fighter jets, and Moscow has begun to move its Black Sea base from Crimea to eastern Ukraine, which "clearly demonstrates the danger that F-16 fighter jets will pose to the Russian military." The Ukrainian Air Force is capable of destroying a large landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet using Soviet-style Su-24 launch Storm Shadow cruise missiles in Crimea, imagine how serious the threat to the Russian army will be from the launch of F-16 missiles. Ukraine has limited surface-to-air missiles, so the F-16 is also capable of protecting Ukrainian troops and cities from Russian aircraft threats. The F-16 uses HARM (or high-speed anti-radiation) missiles more effectively than Soviet-style aircraft, using real-time signals for more precise aiming, which means that Ukraine will be able to counter Russian air defenses more effectively. The combination of the F-16 and the Harpoon can also drive the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of the Black Sea.
The F-16 aircraft will not immediately change the rules of war, Ukrainian pilots need time to adapt to flying, and new platforms need to be integrated. But it won't be long before the F-16 will allow Ukraine to carry out strategic air strikes, influencing the course of the war.