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Russia’s troops are inclined to retreat when encountering NATO fighters, a Ukrainian F-16 pilot stated.
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He stated Ukraine tends to deploy its F-16s and Mirages for canopy missions or in exact strikes.
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His feedback have been a part of the primary video interview Ukraine has revealed with an F-16 pilot.
A Ukrainian F-16 pilot stated Moscow’s forces seem to significantly shrink back from Western plane as a result of they understand how lethal the jets might be.
Ukraine’s air drive launched his feedback on Wednesday as a part of its first-ever video interview with an F-16 pilot. His face was obscured, and the air drive stated it withheld the pilot’s title and name signal for safety functions.
“With the arrival of Western gear, the scenario with finishing up fighter cowl missions has improved,” stated the pilot in Ukrainian. “We now have totally different weaponry, extra high-quality weaponry. The Russians perceive that as nicely.”
He stated Ukraine has been deploying its American F-16 Fighting Falcons and French Mirage 2000-5s in additional close-range encounters.
“From their actions, we are able to see that they’re beginning to retreat. They’re afraid to strategy us,” he added. “In spite of everything, there’s a residing particular person sitting there, too, who additionally doesn’t need to die.”
The pilot stated Ukraine has been utilizing its F-16s for tactical strikes like “a scalpel,” whereas its Soviet MiG-29s, Su-24s, and Su-27s are assigned extra extensively to suppress and destroy targets like “hammers and sledgehammers.”
Ukraine’s Soviet plane are sometimes despatched to bomb Russian targets at shut vary, which the pilot stated means his comrades must fly “dangerously near the entrance line.”
So Ukraine sends it F-16s and Mirages to supply cowl for his or her Soviet counterparts, he stated.
That fashion of assault has materially modified how Moscow’s troops react, the pilot added.
“They know roughly the technical traits of our weaponry. They know the place to advance, the place to retreat,” he stated, including that Ukraine has been attempting to use these gaps.
The pilot additionally stated the F-16 and Mirage provide Ukraine the power to conduct “very, very exact” strikes.
“In the meanwhile, we are able to solely strike at tactical depth,” he stated of Ukrainian pilots assigned to NATO fighters. “However these assaults are extraordinarily exact.”
“If we would like, our bomb can fly straight by somebody’s window,” he added.
The Russian Protection Ministry didn’t reply to a remark request despatched by Enterprise Insider.
The F-16’s edge over Ukraine’s Soviet plane
The F-16 is an older design by Western requirements — with more than 50 years of service — however remains to be valued by Ukraine for its means to hold and launch a wide selection of NATO precision-guided munitions towards each air and land targets.
These embody the Joint Direct Attack Munition – Extended Range, which has a reported vary of fifty miles, and the AIM-120, a medium-range air-launched missile that takes out different aviation targets. Ukraine has each weapons.
This functionality signifies that the F-16 could be a versatile instrument for preventing different plane, conducting floor strikes, or suppressing Russian air defenses.
A few of its Soviet plane, just like the MiG-29, are additionally multirole fighters, however the F-16 has higher radar methods, digital jammers, and vary. In January, Ukraine stated one among its pilots destroyed a document of six Russian missiles in a single sortie.
In the meantime, Dassault’s Mirage is one other combat-proven plane being despatched to Ukraine, although it is typically restricted to firing French munitions. For instance, it will probably launch the long-range Storm Shadow cruise missile however has to stay with the shorter-range MICA air-to-air missile when coping with aerial targets.
Kyiv has been receiving F-16s from European allies for the reason that summer season of 2024 and received its first tranche of Mirages from France in February.
Ukraine has been tight-lipped in regards to the variety of jets it is acquired. Nations like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark have pledged to ship over 100 F-16s to Ukraine, however the whole course of can take months to years.
Nonetheless, Ukraine must be cautious with its priceless Western jets. Russia’s surface-to-air missile defenses, such because the S-400, are formidable, and Ukrainian pilots have been recognized to restrict flying altitude or vary to decrease publicity to them.
Kyiv has already lost one F-16 when a high pilot crashed in August whereas preventing cruise missiles and drones close to the capital.
Earlier this month, a number of pro-Kremlin Telegram channels stated that one other F-16 was shot down within the Sumy area. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the report when talking to journalists on March 19.
“The Russians are mendacity that they shot down one thing there, they did not shoot down something,” he stated.
Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine wants 128 F-16s to combat successfully towards Russia.
Not too long ago, Ukraine’s F-16 program was thrown into question when President Donald Trump paused army help to Kyiv in early March. The help was finally resumed when Ukraine agreed to US-brokered phrases for a cease-fire.
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