Meticulous work

Svitan explains how difficult it would be to liberate the Donbas region without aviation: "It would mean navigating ridge after ridge of mountains, rivers, and lakes,” he adds. “The same applies to Crimea, by the way. I think the planes will come in handy for the liberation of Crimea."

June 6 marked a joyful occasion for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After talks with European partners, he announced that his country is set to acquire a "significant number" of F-16 fighter jets.

"I had a happy day,” Zelensky said. “Usually, we have to negotiate for one or two (F-16s) at a time, but now we received a significant offer."

Eliminating enemy resistance is very meticulous work.

These fighters could be used to strengthen the Ukrainian air defense system and fire support to the advancing ground units, according to military experts.

Roman Svitan explains that F-16 fighters operate in three squadrons in support of the offensive. The first squadron is tasked with incapacitating the enemy’s air defenses. The second strikes at fortifications and ground units, while the third squad provides cover.

“Eliminating enemy resistance is very meticulous work,” Svitan says. “It is naturally much easier for ground units to attack in a direction that was already plowed by aviation.”

Nearly impossible to hit 

In a war marked by long-distance missile strikes, Svitan believes there should be no problem with sheltering parked F-16s from Russian cruise missiles.

“If we have one squadron stationed at one airfield, then we can spread the planes out so effectively that it will be impossible for a missile to hit them,” he says. “How is a pilot firing an X-101 (cruise missile) from a thousand kilometers away supposed to know where exactly — near which bush — our aircraft is standing?”

He adds that the current location of aircraft is constantly changing as planes are moved around, making them “nearly impossible” to hit with long-range missiles.

The second (and decisive?) phase

Svitan says the F-16s will be deployed once the Ukrainian pilots can operate them, which he believes is a matter of months.

“It takes three to four years to make a pilot out of a person just off the street,” he says. “But Ukraine has several hundred fighter pilots who fly Soviet aircraft like the MiG-29, Su-20, MiG-21, or Czechoslovak L-39. Experienced pilots like these can be retrained in three or four months.”

This time frame probably means that the F-16s will not see action during the initial stage of Ukraine’s counter-offensive. But he thinks the first trained brigade, which Svitan says could mean around 40 aircraft units, might be ready by the end of the summer or the beginning of autumn.

“In time for the second phase of the counter-offensive,” he says.

Denmark and Netherlands

The collaboration between Denmark and the Netherlands also aims to create a broader international coalition, encouraging more nations to contribute to Ukraine's fight for freedom. This initiative aims to enhance Ukraine's Air Force capabilities through a training coalition focused on F-16 fighter jets. The partnership seeks to equip Ukrainian pilots and aviation personnel with the skills required to effectively utilize advanced Western fighter aircraft.

Additionally, Ukraine's plans encompass not only the reception of American F-16s that the U.S. administration confirmed it would send last week, but also the integration of other Western fighters, such as the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen. These modern aircraft will gradually replace the aging Soviet equipment in Ukraine's Air Force. Although this transition poses logistical challenges, it is viewed as an essential step toward fortifying Ukraine's defense capabilities and further enhancing its air superiority.