Analysis: F-16 ‘Viper’ Combat Debut in Ukraine’s Skies Will Be Slow, Careful and Risk-Averse. Ukraine’s airmen are attempting something difficult: Deploying an unfamiliar, modern fighter into an air war in progress, against a more powerful opponent. It’s not going as smoothly as hoped.

4 comments

1. It’s more correct to call the jets Ukraine will be receiving “Falcons” rather than “Vipers” because the “Viper” moniker is for the F-16V version, specifically.

2. To overwhelm by force, you need an overwhelming force. Don’t expect what the US has done. We have the largest 4 air forces in the world. (1,3,4,5, Russia 2). We should have given 1,000 A-10s. 

3. The big thing is all this will really do is finally give Long Range Air to Air capability to Ukraine. Which is something they don’t have since the beginning of the war. It will be a slug fest, but I could easily see Ukraine being very clever and flying directly into Russia to hit bombers and such.

4. Risk adverse to be sure; while the long awaited F-16s will be treasured by the AFU, each one pales in value compared to the person flying it.