Too late for F16s?
"Despite months of preparations and training, it seems that the western-supplied F-16 fighter jets due to arrive in Ukraine in July may be ‘no longer relevant’ in the fight against Russia. Speaking on condition of anonymity to Politico, a senior Ukrainian military official dismissed the impact that the aircraft would now have on the war effort. ‘Often, we just don’t get the weapons systems at the time we need them – they come when they’re no longer relevant,’ the high-ranking official said. ‘Every weapon has its own right time. F-16s were needed in 2023; they won’t be right for 2024.’Volodymyr Zelensky first campaigned for the West to supply his country with the US-made aircraft in the summer of 2022. In what has become a regular refrain among Kyiv’s western allies, the request caused many months of hand-wringing and infighting, notably in Germany, where politicians feared that supplying the jets could lead to an escalation in the conflict. In the end, however, around 60 F-16s were pledged by Nato members, but with training timelines adding to the delays caused by the West’s initial hesitation, which is why the first aircraft will only be delivered to Ukraine this summer.
Now reliant on sourcing weapons from Iran and North Korea, as well as dipping into supplies left over from the Cold War, Russia has consistently, but successfully, been forced to play catch up to match the western weaponry Kyiv is using. As such, the Ukrainians fear that the jets may no longer be effective as Moscow has the capability to counter them. Instead, the official said what Ukraine needs are more traditional weapons and drones: ‘We need Howitzers and shells, hundreds of thousands of shells and rockets.
Russia is expected to mount a major push in the coming months ahead of a summer offensive, after a recent surge in missile and drone strikes that have targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure. Among the weapons Ukraine wants are long-range Taurus missiles, capable of striking targets 310 miles away. With the West yet to make a conclusive decision on whether to send them, Ukraine may once again find itself in a race against the clock." [Spectator today]
All that Tutor time (taken from UASs I believe) in vain?