Ukrainian F-16s Vs. Russian Su-35, Su-27 & Mig 29

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) The arrival of export variants of the combat-tested allied variants of the US F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine has been an extremely significant development likely to greatly impact the strategic, tactical and combat dynamics in the ongoing war.

Many months ago, Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made it clear that Western fighter jets were not “off the table,” and sure enough that is happening now. This is not a moment to soon for supporters of Ukraine, and a Pentagon report says the decision to deliver European F-16 received unanimous international support

As for the decision to support the arrival of European F-16s, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin responded to ongoing request from Ukraine and its Eastern European allies at the most recent multi-national Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

“He (Autsin) subsequently took that matter, introduced it into our national security council policy process as part of a conversation about how we support Ukraine in the mid- to long-term in terms of their defense needs, and there was unanimous agreement that this was something that we should and need to support,” Ryder said.