I’m afraid that the Pentagon is going to find that even the Abrams are going to light up like Christmas trees and burn just like Leopards.
Biden's biggest weakness (and there are a multitude of them) is foreign policy. Always has been. He's as confused as that Sarah dude, when it comes to foreign policy.
these potential Ukrainian pilots aren’t starting from day 1 with their knowledge base. they are current AF pilots with experience flying jet fighters. So the learning curve isn’t as steep? Or do you think for them to learn to fly an f16 is still an extensive and lengthy task?
Ukrainian pilots will have to unlearn everything they know about the MiG's, which will take a long time for them to be fluent enough to be able to fly tactical missions in a war zone. If you start from scratch, you're not constantly fighting that battle of what they've been accustomed to for years. Split second decision making is life or death in a fighter jet.. but to simplify this, either way is a fantasy. They're never going to put Ukrainian pilots in F-16s for combat runs over Russian held territory. If the F-16s see any real action, it'll be NATO pilots flying them.
According to Rasmussen 31% of Americans want to see (presumably) someone else’s sons and daughters coming back home in body bags … Rasmussen: Just 31% Want U.S. to Defend Ukraine With Troops
I am not a fighter pilot. I fly helicopters. But, yes, based on my experience, having to move from one airframe to another and instructing pilots who are moving to a new airframe, it is much easier to apply experience to a new aircraft than it is to build experience coming straight from flight school. Many of the principles are the same, and the big difference is learning new systems and new limitations. Assuming no language barrier, I think I could have a 2000-hour Hind pilot flying a Black Hawk to U.S. pilot-in-command standards far, far faster than a new aviator fresh from the UH-60 course at Fort Rucker. It would not even be close.
Oh, that’s where this is going. Got it. Preemptive narrative alert. When the first F-16 sorties happen over Ukraine, it will be American pilots flying under a Ukrainian flag. Yeah, Egypt and Syria said the same thing in 1973 and still tell themselves the same BS today: “Those had to have been American pilots! No way our boys could be shown up so badly by a bunch of Jews!” @duchen can probably verify he has heard that canard at one point or another.
Fortunately, he's not as stupid and clueless as Trump was with regard to Russia. And even more fortunately, Biden has about a hundred times greater chance of being elected president (of the U.S., not of a prison inmate population) in 2024 as Trump does.
Russian soldiers got a reminder of the hazards of war when they were trying to frolic on the beach. About 200 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in a HIMARS strike when they were standing too close to each other at a beach too close to the front lines. Surprisingly, this happened only a matter of weeks after a couple hundred soldiers were blown up while gathered waiting to listen to a general's speech. For supposedly capable soldiers, Russians are not quick learners. A large group of Russian troops violated 'military operations 101' and paid the price in a deadly Ukrainian HIMARS strike, experts say
Yeah, it might take that long, or never, I agree. But that’s a political matter, not a material or training issue. If President Biden were to decide that Ukraine would fight with F-16s this year, then it is absolutely possible.
The main push of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is gaining more momentum! They have taken two fields in the past week!!
This year has less than 5 months remaining and we're heading into rainy season, then winter. Ukrainian pilots flying F-16's and hitting Russian targets this year? C'mon, man. I know you know better than that. It would be a disaster. Even if Biden issued a decree to Zelenskyy that he is to have them flying combat missions by end of year, it would be a complete disaster. And again, you seem to be completely ignoring the failure of our training efforts for Ukrainian ground units. We know how this is going to end. There will be a deal this winter. Biden is not going to go into 2024 with this war still popping off. It's too risky. Trump could win and the world would be safer with peace in Ukraine and no Trump than a free Ukraine with Trump. In Biden's world, the only thing that trumps Russia is Trump himself.
I’m not predicting that President Biden will order F-16s fighting in Ukraine this year. In fact, I’m predicting he will never give that order. I am asserting, however, that if the order were given, the Air Force could begin training next month and have the first Ukrainian F-16s in action by year’s end. The constraint is purely political, not military.
You’re acting like the F-16 is a fifth gen aircraft. The F-16 and Mig-29 are both fourth gen fighters; and while the F-16s are better by a matter of degrees (they each have different competencies), a lot of the separation comes down to the technology in them which we don’t usually provide other countries. Ukraine would be getting the next tier down that we sold to other western nations.
It seems like I season those words with new felony charges each time I look at the news. I don't think there is much of a chance that Donald Trump, the suspected rapist and known insurrectionist, to mention two of his lifestyle choices, could get elected president again. He's carried his wealth and fame about as far as he possibly could. He not only failed as president the first time around, but he had to start lying and committing felonies to try to cover up his incompetence and try to remain president (or dictator). There are still enough republicans left with enough sense of dignity, self-respect, and honor (something our draft-dodging, soldier-bashing ex-president knows nothing about) that Trump will be un-electable in 2024. Yes, there are a lot of brain-damaged people in American today, but 50.1%? No way. A number of his supporters who were "there for him" on January 6th will be in prison for their crimes on that day, and will probably have bigger concerns than voting on election day next year, like remembering not to drop the soap in the shower.
