The American F16 fighter is about to join the Ukrainian army, will it change the tide of the war?Will Russia lose air supremacy as a result?This is a topic of great interest. As an advanced fighter aircraft of the United States, the F16 fighter has nearly 3,000 in service worldwide and is highly regarded for its excellent combat capabilities.
However, the United States did not directly provide Ukraine with the F16, but authorized it to the Netherlands and Denmark, a move that means that Ukraine finally received the long-awaited support. But there are still many uncertainties about whether the addition of F16 fighters can turn the tide of the war. First of all, the addition of F16 fighters to the Ukrainian army will indeed increase its combat power and make it more difficult for the Russian army to fight to a certain extent.
However, in order to change Ukraine's air inferiority, a few dozen F16s alone are clearly not enough. Especially when the Russian army has advanced Su-35 and Su-57 fighters and powerful air defense systems, the advantages of the F16 are not very obvious. In addition, the Ukrainian army mainly uses fighters from the former Soviet Union, and it takes time to adapt to American-style equipment, and the training of pilots is also a long-term process.
Even if F16 fighters join Ukraine, they will not be able to form substantial combat effectiveness in a short period of time. And the Russian army also has time to make a series of measures on how to deal with F16 fighters. In addition, although the F16 fighter can carry nuclear **, this capability may not play a substantial role in the actual situation in Ukraine. Ukraine faces a large country like Russia, and nuclear deterrence will not have a substantial impact on it.
Throughout the support process, Ukraine has also faced a number of challenges. Although NATO countries ostensibly help Ukraine train pilots and establish training centers, they do not actually directly provide Ukraine with F16 fighters. This means that Ukraine may be used as a tool in this process, lacking real and substantial support.
To sum up, the addition of F16 fighters is certainly a support for Ukraine, but it is not easy to really change the tide of the war. Ukraine still has many challenges to face in the future, and the addition of F16 fighter jets is just one part of it.