A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon from the the 408th Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, flies a training sortie Sept. 9, 2015, over Germany. US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released
Business Insider: Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing ‘there is no fighting chance’
* Ukraine has repeatedly asked the US for fourth-generation fighter jets like the F-16.
* But air combat experts have argued that these aircraft would have little battlefield impact.
* A former F-16 pilot said these jets don’t have a fighting chance given Russia’s air defense systems.
Ukrainian officials have long pressed their Western military backers to send them modern fighter jets, arguing Kyiv needs the airpower boost to best the invading Russian forces, and while some in the West agree, others argue fighter aircraft like the ones Ukraine wants wouldn’t stand a chance in the current threat environment.
There have been repeated requests for the delivery of American-made F-16s, leading to debates over how effective the fourth-generation plane would be in the skies. One former F-16 pilot told Insider he wouldn’t want to attempt to fly missions over Ukraine right now, asserting that the aircraft can’t outmatch Russia’s air defense systems.
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WNU Editor: This former F-16 pilot’s fears are justified. This is a war that fourth-generation fighter jets like the F-16 should avoid.