Washington is delaying the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine, citing the belief that the fighter jets are unlikely to alter the course of the military conflict.

As a result, several Ukrainian airfields need to undergo preparations to accommodate the US fighter jets. F-16s have specific runway requirements due to the low location of the air intake to the engine, necessitating runways of exceptional sterility and quality. Additionally, this fourth-generation fighter demands specialized service centers for maintenance and support.

Unlike tanks and guns, the F-16 requires thorough maintenance after most flights and a whole "ecosystem" of support. Operating experience with the F-16 in Poland has shown that it often requires replacing entire blocks of equipment. Regrettably, Ukraine lacks such maintenance centers since its Air Force has been equipped solely with Soviet-era aircraft until now. Experts estimate that it would cost Ukraine 5-6 billion dollars and several years to build the necessary infrastructure for F-16s.

Moreover, it is essential to recognize that retraining Ukrainian pilots to operate the F-16 is not a task that can be accomplished in a day or even a month. Learning to fly a combat aircraft does not automatically equate to mastering its tactical employment.

Given these challenges, Ukraine's allies are still attempting to gather old MiG-29s and SU-27s from Europe that have not yet been dismantled for spare parts.

-Ukraine is either stuck leading the 'meat assaults' or googling what all these new fancy knobs do during an attack run. Choose your poison.

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#Source Ukrainian