How will F16 fighter jets change the war in Ukraine? | DW Analysis

To answer this question and many more, DW interviewed Douglas Lute, Chair of International & Defense Practices at BGR Group. He's a former lieutenant general in the US army and a former US Ambassador to NATO.

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[kcav]

These planes, as with the Abrams tanks, are for long term defense. Too little too late is a very misinformed statement. Ukraine needs to ability to deter future aggression, whether they retake the full Donbas or not. Not everything is focused on the short term. Thank god we have military experts who understand this.

[SeemoreDunkan]

I wouldn't say ''Too little too late'', I'd say ''A day late and a dollar short'' but go on 😃

[anonymousanonym]

"Too little too late" very German headline. I salute by tipping my helmet!

[tajmajal]

Nobody's taking evil Putin seriously now. Thank you to Denmark and to the Netherlands.

[pavelkazmin_rus]

This will totally change everything! 👍Well, at least for those people responsible for maintaining it, the'll get nice place somewhere in Italy)

[quinnjackson]

During the Korean war, the Soviet Union sent advanced fighter jets to North Korea. They were painted with North Korean colors, but were flown by Soviet pilots. That was not seen as some "escalation, " so following the Russian sent precedent, fighters are more than fair game to send to Ukraine.

[carpenter]

Guided bombs launched from F-16s are much cheaper than cruise missiles with close to the same impact.

[Worldaffairslover]

After the announcement of advanced hardware, Russia always says it will “escalate” the situation. If that was truly the case, why didn’t they just escalate to the max in the very beginning? Before the arrival of the advanced hardware ☠️

[tellitlikeitis]

Russia hitting Ukraine. Hit Russia, no escalation. Equal fight

[emiliat.]

“To little to late” isn’t that what all the important weapons that are given to Ukraine are. Remember leopards, long range rockets. I think the USA and other Nato countries are to cautious and conservative in its policy to approve arms delivery to Ukraine. In the end it will cost more, lives and money, than going in full throttle.

[ronaldderooij]

According to the Dutch MOD website, the Netherlands has currently 24 F16 left. Denmark delivers 19. That makes 43. Zelensky mentioned 42. So I think 1 will go into the military museum. But I think 60 F16 is wrong. We don't have those numbers.

[floridaadventuresports]

Recipe for disaster no runway in Ukraine is long enough for F-16s

[jrtstrategicapital]

Of course there’s going to be an escalation..that comes with war in order to recapture their lost territories.. how would Germany feel if East Germany was taken over again by the Russians..would west Germans care or fight for their lost territories? We must ask ourselves the same if our home was invaded..will our neighbors help us or be critical in trying to regain our homes back.

[KirenKK-tepb]

Not too late. The precision Ground and Air Strike augmentation in winter with precision modern ISR especially when ground forces actions have slowed down provides for sustenance of attrition and degradation of enemy logistics and air superiority. This also facilitates use of " strategic" arsenal/ munition should the adversary resort to adventurism. A progressively and time critically progressed empowerment.

[proud_chinese_traitor]

Putin said he will wave the nuke if Ukraine got F16 . Now what ? Putin will slap himself again?

[Trext-khoi]

Victory always comes down to who has the best experience, I mean real life combat warfare, not just 8 month training. That's how Ariel combat works.

[srdapantovic]

Sounds like a logistical nightmare. These planes won't change anything. The f-16 needs soo much maintenance and clean runways.

[DerBienenOpa]

I hope my government gets its act together and provides the Taurus missiles before the F-16 jets arrive in Ukraine but I doubt it.

[TMM-N]

Are they forgetting russia has bombed the drones convention easily recently?
Let alone huge hangers of F-16
Maintenance team
Logistic
Arm depot
And the plane itself will be bombed

[spitfire]

It’s definitely not ending the war like a couple jets vs hundreds of battalions of Air Force brigades