Ukraine’s F-16s vs. Russia’s Su-27, MiG-29 & Su-35: The Coming Air War

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) Export variants of the combat-tested allied variants of the US F-16 fighter jets are at last “on the way” to Ukraine, 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

“That training will take place outside of Ukraine at sites in Europe,” DoD Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said May 23 Pentagon report on the F-16s. “But in terms of … when that training will begin, how those jets will be provided, who will provide them, we’re continuing to work with our international partners on that front.”

As for the decision to support the arrival of European F-16s, 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.

Ryder explained in further detail that the training, and any eventual transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine is meant to support mid- and long-term defense needs, rather than defense in the short term for an expected counter-offensive against Russian forces.

“F-16s for Ukraine is about the long-term commitment to Ukraine,” Ryder said. “These F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counter offensive.”