Some F-16 fighter jets transferred to Ukraine by Western partners will be deployed at foreign air bases to prevent them from becoming a target for Russian troops.
This was stated by Serhiy Holubtsov, chief of aviation of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with Radio Liberty, Babel reports.
“There is a figure that will enter Ukraine. There is a certain number of aircraft that will be stored at safe airbases, not in Ukraine, so that they are not targets here. And this will be our reserve, if necessary, to replace faulty aircraft during routine maintenance. That is, so that we can always have a certain number of aircraft in the operational fleet that will correspond to the number of pilots we will have. If there are more pilots, there will be more aircraft in Ukraine”, — the commander said.
He also added that Ukraine has a certain number of airfields prepared for F-16s, but their defense will be a real challenge. For such protection, there must be at least two batteries of Patriot air defense systems, two batteries of NASAMS air defense systems to work on aerodynamic targets, drones, and to cover the Patriot itself.
Gepard anti-aircraft guns and passive defense – fences, technical means of movement — will be part of the airfields’ coverage to prevent any sabotage group from entering. All of the above is the minimum protection that is needed.
Golubtsov also reminded that four countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands — have already agreed to transfer their F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Speaking about the number of transferred aircraft, he clarified that it is about 30-40 planes, but this number may increase in the future, as “almost all countries that have F-16s in service are gradually rearming with F-35s”.
In addition, Golubtsov noted that all F-16s entering service with the Ukrainian Air Force have been modernized.
“I can say that all the aircraft that will be provided have undergone some modernization, they have an improved sight for detecting air targets. Along with the planes, a special container will be provided that allows to find and aim missiles and bombs at ground targets. Also, this modernization mainly concerned the re-equipment of the aircraft for the use of precision weapons. On Wikipedia, you can read the abbreviation MLU, and these are the aircraft that will be provided to Ukraine”, — said Golubtsov.
Golubtsov noted that Ukraine expects that the use of precision weapons will allow us to hit the targets that are necessary for victory, for the advance of our ground troops to the state border and the liberation of our territories.
