What will F16's do? Warning: potential Crocky trigger

[Ural Quntz]

After months and months of the F16's are coming seems like they are almost (still) ready

But what exactly will they do?

Unlikely to be Biggles type dogfights with the Ruzzian Nazis as that rarely  happens these days. Its who has the best radar and missiles.

The Tu22's won't feel like getting in the air from the safety of Russia for sure.

This is what an analyst from the Independent reckons

▪️F-16 will strengthen Ukraine's military power, especially through the modernization of air defense. However, according to analysts, they alone will not be able to turn the tide of the conflict.

The F-16 will likely have three main missions, says Federico Borsari of the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington.

▪️They will seek to intercept Russian missiles and drones, suppress enemy air defense systems and strike Russian military positions and ammunition depots with air-to-ground missiles. "They will be able to influence the dynamics (of the conflict)," Borsari says.

▪️Much information about the F-16 deployment is classified. It is unknown what targets Western governments will allow them to hit and what weapons they will send with the planes.

▪️F-16s can carry UK-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles with a range of more than 250 km, which can potentially hit targets in Russia. They could also acquire long-range air-to-air missiles that would threaten Russian bombers and fighters.

The aircraft's advanced radars will allow Ukrainian pilots to pinpoint targets at greater distances than their MiG-29, Su-27 and Su-24 can.

▪️Sky dominance is an integral part of the ground campaign, as aircraft provide air cover for troops. But supporting the movement of Ukrainian forces on the front line may be too risky for the F-16, given Russia's advanced air defense systems.

▪️Fighters can have a psychological impact on Russian pilots and boost the morale of Ukrainians.