Current Affairs Ukraine

[Rita_Poon]

First F-16 jets heading to Ukraine after months of training and negotiations

Dutch and Danish leaders say Ukraine will be ‘flying operational F-16s this summer’ as Kyiv seeks battlefield wins

www.theguardian.com

 

[Rita_Poon]

oh good.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

MSN

 

[davids]

Hmm, but finding that 'someone' is going to be the problem.

Ultimately, Russia is a corrupt society and the solution in my opinion lies with the oligarchs who have been heavily sanctioned since 2022. I'm sure most yearn for the days when they could come and go as they pleased and to spend their billions wherever and on whatever they wanted. If they can be persuaded by Western governments - perhaps using some leverage akin to returning to them some of their sanctioned 'interests' - to exert their undoubted influence over the choice of Putin's replacement and actively help in changing the existing political status quo that would be a major start. For now though they are persona non grata and probably in fear of their lives from Putin and his cronies as they have seen what happens to even those closest to him...'cup of tea comrade? Have you seen the view from the top floor?'

US hookers, Chinese hookers,Asian hookers African...US coke, Chinese coke Asian coke,blah blah blah

 

[davids]

oh good.

Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing 'there is no fighting chance'

Fourth-generation fighter jets lacking stealth features will be outmatched by advanced Russian air-defense systems, a US Air Force veteran said.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Jokerdan]

US hookers, Chinese hookers,Asian hookers African...US coke, Chinese coke Asian coke,blah blah blah

The rest of their ill-gotten money they just wasted, presumably!?

 

[davids]

The rest of their ill-gotten money they just wasted, presumably!?

And doubt they care much where they waste it.Bit naive of western governments to think they care too much about sanctions

 

[tsubaki]

And doubt they care much where they waste it.Bit naive of western governments to think they care too much about sanctions

As said before, sanctions are only useful for politicians to claim they’ve done something.

If they wanted to really hurt the Russian economy, decarbonise and help the rest of the world decarbonise - but that would negatively affect the donor class, so we can only “do something” instead.

 

[davids]

As said before, sanctions are only useful for politicians to claim they’ve done something.

If they wanted to really hurt the Russian economy, decarbonise and help the rest of the world decarbonise - but that would negatively affect the donor class, so we can only “do something” instead.

Also take decades. NATO running around in circles trying to get countries to meet GDP promises while SCO adds Belarus to it's membership.

 

[Jokerdan]

The Chinese are sitting at the back happily rubbing their hands and leaving the West and Russia to spend money, time and effort trying to defeat one another over Ukraine whilst they manoeuvre their way to the top table at the banquet. The benefit to China of involving themselves with Belarus is to ultimately prolong tensions and undermine the current Russian regime and it's influence in the region. They know a spent force when they see it and are just playing the game with Putin who, despite all his rhetoric and that of his propagandists, are eventually on a hiding to nothing.

The inscrutable Chinese playbook is in full action mode and the proxy Chinese border has just edged closer to Europe. The silk road has reopened for business and it will be interesting how many of the current Russian Federation members will also eventually fall under Chinese influence given the growing dissatisfaction with their current masters.

Russia as a major and influential Country/State will cease to exist over the next 10-20 years albeit in name only and part of a newer order.

 

[Bedfordblue]

Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing 'there is no fighting chance'

Fourth-generation fighter jets lacking stealth features will be outmatched by advanced Russian air-defense systems, a US Air Force veteran said.

www.businessinsider.com

Thing is he also says he would have been comfortable flying against contemporary systems when he was a pilot, so I’m not sure what the difference is?
Air defence has moved on, so have the HARM systems and counter measures.
Bit of a nothing article for me.

Presumably Ukraine still has MIGs flying combat missions, so if the F-16 is an improvement on them the that’s good for Ukraine

Apart from anything the Pentagon / NATO / MOD will want to see how their latest comparable toys fair against the RU systems and keep giving / developing until they see something useful.

 

[davids]

Thing is he also says he would have been comfortable flying against contemporary systems when he was a pilot, so I’m not sure what the difference is?
Air defence has moved on, so have the HARM systems and counter measures.
Bit of a nothing article for me.

Presumably Ukraine still has MIGs flying combat missions, so if the F-16 is an improvement on them the that’s good for Ukraine

Apart from anything the Pentagon / NATO / MOD will want to see how their latest comparable toys fair against the RU systems and keep giving / developing until they see something useful.

Very true,no matter how many dead Ukrainian pilots that takes.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

[potato lens] Very true,no matter how many dead Russian pilots that takes. [potato lens]

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing 'there is no fighting chance'

Fourth-generation fighter jets lacking stealth features will be outmatched by advanced Russian air-defense systems, a US Air Force veteran said.

www.businessinsider.com

Not so relevant now since Ukraine degraded Russia’s AEW&C capability by taking out their A-50’s. Now Russian fighters are effectively blind and will have to use their own active search radars to find targets.

The F-16’s will be guided onto targets by the SAAB A-340’s and NATO E-3’s without firing up their own radars. Their ECM pods are good enough and will be pre-programmed to counter RU search radars.

AIM-120 D’s will be loosed from 120Km from targets and will be controlled in mid-flight by data-links to the AWAC’s. The missiles will switch to active homing 5km from target the Russians will see em too late. At this time they are flying at Mach 4. No escape for the Russian aircraft, they will be unable to manoeuvre and evade.

You see it’s not just about the fighter aircraft in modern air warfare. It’s about the eyes in the sky, it’s about the EW aircraft. It’s a full package that Russia doesn’t have.

I noted about 3 weeks ago that NATO E3’s started operating right along the border between Poland and Ukraine. Previously they only operated in Romanian air space. The only possible reason for them being where they are now is to provide that airborne early warning and control function for Uke fighters.

Also you have to think back to the shooting down of the RU A-50’s. And the targeting of RU S400/S500 sites. All of it was Ukraine shaping the battlefield and preparing for the introduction of the F16 into the AO.

 

[tsubaki]

Not so relevant now since Ukraine degraded Russia’s AEW&C capability by taking out their A-50’s. Now Russian fighters are effectively blind and will have to use their own active search radars to find targets.

The F-16’s will be guided onto targets by the SAAB A-340’s and NATO E-3’s without firing up their own radars. Their ECM pods are good enough and will be pre-programmed to counter RU search radars.

AIM-120 D’s will be loosed from 120Km from targets and will be controlled in mid-flight by data-links to the AWAC’s. The missiles will switch to active homing 5km from target the Russians will see em too late. At this time they are flying at Mach 4. No escape for the Russian aircraft, they will be unable to manoeuvre and evade.

You see it’s not just about the fighter aircraft in modern air warfare. It’s about the eyes in the sky, it’s about the EW aircraft. It’s a full package that Russia doesn’t have.

I noted about 3 weeks ago that NATO E3’s started operating right along the border between Poland and Ukraine. Previously they only operated in Romanian air space. The only possible reason for them being where they are now is to provide that airborne early warning and control function for Uke fighters.

Also you have to think back to the shooting down of the RU A-50’s. And the targeting of RU S400/S500 sites. All of it was Ukraine shaping the battlefield and preparing for the introduction of the F16 into the AO.

NATO E-3s are not going to be controlling missiles fired at Russian aircraft, for really quite obvious reasons.