Ukraine’s needs-must approach won’t cut it with F-16 training
Ukrainians have proved ultra-quick and adaptive learners with new weapons, but training pilots for F-16s needs serious time.
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
I am always cautious of commenting on something that has been said by an expert who knows more about a subject than me, but this is an exception. Many European countries have purchased the F16 and it has taken a lot less than four to five years to get proficient. Why are Ukraine so different, particularly when a number of their pilots have real hands on combat experience and also they are at war where the incentive to learn is even greater.As US OKs F-16 transfers, USAFE head warns Ukraine won't have them flying in 2023 - Breaking Defense
Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Africa and Europe, said it could take anywhere from 4-5 years for Ukraine to achieve “proficiency” in flying F-16s.breakingdefense.com
With this in mind I think in the immediate term Ukraine's supporters need to source more Fulcrums and/or Flankers for Ukraine. What would Egypt and Peru want in exchange for their MiG-29s? How about India and their pro-Putin leanings? If price is no object everything is for sale.Ukraine’s needs-must approach won’t cut it with F-16 training
Ukrainians have proved ultra-quick and adaptive learners with new weapons, but training pilots for F-16s needs serious time.www.politico.eu
Well, the man IS a comedian.......We are ready to exchange Belgorod for NATO membership â Zelenskyy
In response to a question on the possibility of territorial concessions for the sake of Ukraine’s membership in NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to exchange it for the Russian city of Belgorod.www.pravda.com.ua
The speculation about the length of time for Ukraine to get up to speed with F-16s is all over the place, just like the length of time it would take Ukraine to get up to speed with the Leopard, Challenger and Abrams tanks.
I'm still thinking this is part journalistic sensationalism and part deliberate misinformation aimed at baffling Russia.
Forbes: Ukraine Is Getting F-16s. Now It Needs Cruise Missiles.
Ukraine Is Getting F-16s. Now It Needs Cruise Missiles.
It’s what the American-designed F-16s can carry that matters the most as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds into its 19th month.www.forbes.com
Which in turn will push Russian aviation further behind their own lines, ending their "bomb toss" attacks.Another capability of the F-16 will be detecting and hitting Russian aircraft, including attack helicopters over the frontlines from significant distance. I assume Ukraine will get AIM-120 AMRAAMs for their Vipers.
Absolutely agree but lets not forget the level of ECM. If they can nullify the effectiveness S300 and limit the capability of the S400, the opportunities to make the most of the F16 increase significantly.Another capability of the F-16 will be detecting and hitting Russian aircraft, including attack helicopters over the frontlines from significant distance. I assume Ukraine will get AIM-120 AMRAAMs for their Vipers.
I honestly don't think that Putin has seen the last of Prigozhin.Looks like Prigozhin is on his holidays. Lemme hear you say VAY-KAY!!!!
Wagner making Africa more free, says Prigozhin
The mercenary boss appears in his first video address since the mutiny - allegedly in Africa.www.bbc.com
Could you quantify this in terms of hours? At how many total hours flying time, from first solo flight to combat readiness for a pilot? 1,000? 2,000? How much flying time?When a F15 or F16 guy switches aircraft or comes back from a staff tour they go through whats called a "short course". Usually it's about 2.5 to 3 months long, and the guy graduates as a basic pilot in the jet but is not Mission Ready (MR). He then goes to his specific unit and gets top off training (mirroring what he just did in the school house) plus unit specific mission training. Specific training covers night attack, CAS, SEAD, etc., plus familiarity with the units tasked AOR. For instance while flying Eagles in Florida my AOR was Europe, and I knew all the departures, recoveries, safe routes, general lay down, local bases for my specific area (inside Europe).
When an A10 guy transitions to an F15 or F16 he gets almost the same course a brand new pilot gets (all the flying and 90% of the academics) compressed into 5 months instead of 6. He will fly at a slightly accelerated pace since he passes up on some academics.
Since I last wrote on this topic I have talked with a guy who May or may not have flown a Flanker, and been going through the flight manual on one to learn about the pilot interface with the machine. I've flown a MiG29 sim with a MiG IP on the console as well.
My guess is the average Ukrainian MiG or SU driver should probably go through a course much closer to the A10 guy than the new guy (almost all the flying / most of the academics). They should know how to do dogfighting (Basic Fighter Maneuvers or BFM) but the command and control aspect would require both the pilot and the Air Battle Managers / staff to get taught how to more fully utilize what the F16 will bring to the table. The F16 is set up for the Western pilot and structure, and using it like a MiG or SU will get you some increased lethality but not fully tap into it.
With the aircraft losses that the Ukraine has suffered I would think they have idle pilots who hopefully have been in training for months now and are actively flying with a host country to get them as much up on the step as possible. This is all opinion as I'm totally disconnected from that world except from here and Aviation Week.