One former F-16 pilot told Insider he wouldn't want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, saying that the aircraft can't outmatch Russia's air-defense systems.įourth-generation fighters "have no business in a modern-day battlefield," John Venable, a 25-year veteran of the US Air Force, told Insider in a recent interview. There have been repeated requests for the delivery of American-made F-16s, leading to debates about how effective the fourth-generation planes would be in the skies.
While some in the West agree, others say fighter aircraft like the ones Ukraine wants wouldn't stand a chance in the current threat environment. Ukrainian officials have long pressed their Western military backers to send them modern fighter jets, arguing Kyiv needs the airpower to best the invading Russian forces. Ukraine has repeatedly asked the US for fourth-generation fighter jets, like the F-16.īut air-combat experts have said that these aircraft would have little battlefield impact.Ī former F-16 pilot said these jets don't have a fighting chance given Russia's air-defense systems. A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon in a training sortie in Germany on September 9, 2015.
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