Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for Ukraine�s Air Force, has reported that the Russians had reduced the number of air strikes after losing three of their Su-34 strike fighters in Ukraine’s south.
Those stories already started, some Russian mil-bloggers say that F16s are already in Ukraine which is probably copium. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if this isn’t accidental and Ukrainians re-doubled efforts to take down Russian planes (e.g. via smart and unexpected movements of anti-air installations) in anticipations of F16s coming, they’re a lot more useful more quickly if they don’t have to operate in contested skies. Every air-to-air missile you don’t need to have in your loadout is another air-to-ground one.
Also, there’s the airframe and then there are the missiles you put on it. Depending on what these F-16 load up with can make a whole lot of difference.
I doubt they’ll be doing much dogfighting. The challenge will be to get in the air, fire off missiles, and land back without getting shot down.
Edit: Oh and another thing that makes a lot of difference is radar assets. I bet those F-16s are going to get extended eyes and ears thanks to NATO AWACS flying high but within NATO borders.
Do you mean the J-17 which was jointly developed by Pakistan and China. Who have a vested interest in trying to sell the J-17 to other parts of the world… if so then yes that very same plane.
JF-17 is a multirole attack aircraft, F-16 is a multirole air superiority fighter.
PAF has been very adamant that nothing they have tried compares to the F-16 in performance. Their last air skirmish was an F-16 that shot down an IAF MiG-21 in 2019. Even the J-10s they recently bought are still considered inferior.
The real joke here is expecting an F-16 to actually reach Ukraine lmao. Pakistan had to basically play double agent to convince the USA to even open F-16 sales. There’s a 0% chance they’re going to give Ukraine F-16s for free, or even let them be leased from other countries.
Just wait till the F-16 sorties start.
You won’t be able to swing a cat in here without hitting a whining tankie symp.
Those stories already started, some Russian mil-bloggers say that F16s are already in Ukraine which is probably copium. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if this isn’t accidental and Ukrainians re-doubled efforts to take down Russian planes (e.g. via smart and unexpected movements of anti-air installations) in anticipations of F16s coming, they’re a lot more useful more quickly if they don’t have to operate in contested skies. Every air-to-air missile you don’t need to have in your loadout is another air-to-ground one.
The same F-16s that were outclassed by the J-17 in recent military exercises?
Pakistani pilots are on record saying the F-16 is worse in basically every way compared to a design China considers to be “budget” and “outdated.”
Let’s pretend for a minute that it is actually better. Russia doesn’t field the J-17, so it doesn’t matter.
Also, there’s the airframe and then there are the missiles you put on it. Depending on what these F-16 load up with can make a whole lot of difference.
I doubt they’ll be doing much dogfighting. The challenge will be to get in the air, fire off missiles, and land back without getting shot down.
Edit: Oh and another thing that makes a lot of difference is radar assets. I bet those F-16s are going to get extended eyes and ears thanks to NATO AWACS flying high but within NATO borders.
China recognizes that the J-17 is outclassed by the Su-34, so it sort of does matter…
Do you mean the J-17 which was jointly developed by Pakistan and China. Who have a vested interest in trying to sell the J-17 to other parts of the world… if so then yes that very same plane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC/PAC_JF-17_Thunder
The J-17 was designed for the Pakistan Air Force. Any other operators (Myanmar, Nigeria?) are operators of convenience.
I see, so the Pakistani Airforce which commissioned the design and production of the J-17 reports that it is superior to the F-16…
Whatever helps the copium taste better I suppose.
The F-16 was already 30 years old by the time the J-17 was introduced.
And yet it would still have been cheaper to send Ukraine new J-17s than used F-16s.
Yeah that’s just a flat out lie mate lmao
Uh source?
JF-17 is a multirole attack aircraft, F-16 is a multirole air superiority fighter.
PAF has been very adamant that nothing they have tried compares to the F-16 in performance. Their last air skirmish was an F-16 that shot down an IAF MiG-21 in 2019. Even the J-10s they recently bought are still considered inferior.
The real joke here is expecting an F-16 to actually reach Ukraine lmao. Pakistan had to basically play double agent to convince the USA to even open F-16 sales. There’s a 0% chance they’re going to give Ukraine F-16s for free, or even let them be leased from other countries.
Meanwhile Ukraine unveils it’s f-16
Lol called it: https://lemmy.ml/post/10200774
New issue of Air Force Monthly lol
The F-16 was already 30 years old by the time the J-17 was introduced.
Newer doesn’t inherently mean better.
Didn’t say it did.
I mean, even if that’s true… Is that really even a flex? The F-16 platform is 30 years older than the J-17.