A US Army A-10 Thunderbolt II (Photo: Military).
"The air force's position on receiving Western aircraft remains the same: the priority is the F-16s that our pilots are training on," Colonel Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, told Ukrainska Pravda .
Earlier, responding to Reuters , Ukrainian Army Commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said the country needs more military aircraft, such as the US A-10 "warthog" attack aircraft, to support the infantry.
"This is not a new machine, but it is reliable, proven in many wars and has a wide range of weapons to destroy ground targets in support of infantry," Syrskyi said.
The A-10 Thunderbolt is a subsonic attack aircraft manufactured in the United States, put into use since the 1970s.
Ukrainian Air Force representatives said that the A-10 attack aircraft only performs the sole function of providing fire support for ground forces, while maintenance costs are much more expensive than the multi-role F-16 model.
"The A-10 platform would be too heavy for the air force. We simply do not have the resources to develop this aircraft, both material and human," said a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force.
Mr. Ihnat pointed out that for the mission of attacking the ground from the air, the Ukrainian army will use Su-25 attack aircraft and helicopters such as Mi-24 and Mi-8.
Mr. Ihnat emphasized that the prerequisite for success is gaining air superiority and this could come from F-16s and medium- and long-range air defense missile systems.
"Of course, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the army commander, wants more air support, but Ukraine has not yet sent an official request for A-10 aircraft. Right now, the number one issue is still the development of the F-16," Ihnat said.
US Air Force F-16 escorts Soviet Air Force Su-27 in 1990 (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).
Kiev needs F-16s
Kiev has long wanted to receive F-16 aircraft from the West to compensate for the losses of its air force in the war with Russia.
After receiving the green light from the US, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway all promised to provide Ukraine with surplus F-16s. Ukraine is likely to receive more than 60 F-16s.
The Ukrainian Air Force may have fewer than 100 1980s-vintage MiG-29s and Su-27s to counter Russia. While no longer cutting-edge technology, the F-16s are considered a significant upgrade to Ukraine’s fleet.
Forbes writer David Axe assessed that the F-16 is easier to fly than Soviet-style jets, has effective radar warning and jamming equipment. Under the right conditions, they can track aerial targets and launch AIM-120 air-to-air missiles from 80km away or farther depending on the specific model.
That distance could be tens of kilometers further than the R-27 missile range of a MiG or Sukhoi.
Currently, the MiG-31 and Su-35, the two best interceptors in the Russian Air Force, can attack aerial targets with R-37 missiles at ranges of 130km or more. Therefore, Ukrainian F-16 pilots may avoid these two aircraft models rather than engage them.
But even so, compared to other fighters, missiles or drones, the F-16 is a clear improvement over the MiG-29 and Su-27, according to Mr. Axe.
Russian leaders and officials have always asserted that the West's provision of F-16s to Ukraine will not change the situation and will only prolong the fighting.
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