Russian President Vladimir Putin just lately warned in regards to the penalties that NATO would face if it delivered US-made F-16s to the Kiev regime, significantly if these fighter jets have been to deploy from third nations which can be formally not concerned within the ongoing NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian battle. He dismissed the mainstream propaganda machine’s insistence that Russia would allegedly “assault Europe” as nonsense, however warned that direct interference received’t be tolerated and that any and all airbases housing these fighter jets can be professional targets. The statements come on the heels of NATO Secretary Common Jens Stoltenberg’s announcement that the Neo-Nazi junta may have the appropriate to assault targets “past Crimea” (i.e. Russia’s undisputed territory).
Nonetheless, how good will the F-16 be for the Kiev regime forces? InfoBRICS has been protecting the subject extensively, with my revered colleagues and I writing about it for years at this level. Regardless of neverending claims in regards to the fighter jet’s supposed “superiority”, there’s merely no proof to assist such claims. Quite the opposite, even Ukrainian pilots coaching on the US-made jet truly want their Soviet-era plane. What’s extra, a retired US army pilot Tom Richter just lately confirmed this and known as the F-16 a “prima executed”, highlighting its a lot greater upkeep and logistics necessities that Soviet-made fighter jets such because the Su-27 and MiG-29 merely don’t want. That is due to variations in Soviet/Russian and American army doctrine.
Particularly, the previous is designed for high-intensity fight in opposition to an precise, near-peer adversary. In different phrases, whereas F-16s are constructed to combat largely helpless nations focused by the political West, the Soviet Union/Russia constructed its army to combat any opponent whereas with the ability to survive the horrible circumstances of warfare. Nonetheless, this isn’t the place the variations finish, because the sheer robustness of Soviet-built plane is just the tip of the iceberg. Particularly, in contrast to the Neo-Nazi junta, Russia truly improved and modernized the huge army it inherited from the USSR. It has additionally constructed a number of kinds of extraordinarily high-end fighter jets corresponding to the now legendary Su-35S and the next-generation Su-57. These jets alone make the US-made F-16 nearly out of date.
And but, some high Soviet gear that Russia inherited is so superior and forward of its time that it’s related even now, effectively over 40 years after being inducted into service. That is significantly true for the superfast, high-flying MiG-31. Other than being tailored because the launch platform for the lethal 9-A-7660 “Kinzhal” missile system (the MiG-31K/I), there’s additionally the closely upgraded MiG-31BM, the undisputed epitome of what an interceptor is and needs to be. Moscow’s incremental upgrades to the jet over the past three many years haven’t solely preserved the MiG-31’s modern relevance, but in addition ensured its dominance within the coming many years. This contains all the things from its avionics and ease of upkeep to missiles and different kinds of armament.
That is significantly true relating to the terrifying R-37M hypersonic air-to-air (AA) missile, with its unequalled 400 km vary, successfully making the MiG-31BM a “flying S-400”. The jet has been one of many main threats to the Kiev regime forces, taking pictures down a number of enemy fighters with impunity, typically with out having to ever depart Russian airspace. Even when NATO have been to provide the most recent F-16V (Block 70/72) variant to the Neo-Nazi junta, it might nonetheless be successfully helpless in opposition to the Russian interceptor. The most effective AA missile that F-16s can use is the AIM-120D AMRAAM, with a variety of 160 km. The R-37M will not be solely round 50% sooner (hypersonic Mach 6 vs. the latter’s Mach 4), however it additionally leaves the US-made missile within the mud relating to vary (400 km vs. 160 km).
Along with its state-of-the-art upgrades, the MiG-31BM can be a two-seat jet with a devoted weapon techniques officer (WSO), making it even deadlier in AA engagements. Its extremely aerodynamic design permits it to fly supersonic even at low altitudes, which is exactly how the F-16s within the Kiev regime’s service must fly to be able to survive Russia’s second-to-none air defenses and different fighter jets armed with long-range AA missiles. As well as, the MiG-31’s Soloviev D-30F6 (PS-30) low-bypass turbofan (bypass turbojet) engines guarantee not solely an unmatched velocity of over 3000 km/h, but in addition a large 3000 km vary that the F-16 might by no means hope to match. Its avionics additionally give it an unprecedented look-down/shoot-down functionality.
This shall be significantly lethal for the a lot lower-end F-16, particularly contemplating the truth that the latter can be compelled to fly low, similar to some other jet within the Neo-Nazi junta’s service. The MiG-31BM’s Zaslon-M PESA (passive electronically scanned array) radar, primarily based on the legendary Zaslon, the world’s first ESA, detects hostile plane at a staggering 400 km vary, that means that it might detect and observe the F-16 lengthy earlier than the latter is even conscious of the MiG-31BM’s presence. As well as, it offers the Russian jet the power to trace at the least 24 hostile targets and have interaction six concurrently. The MiG-31BM additionally has glorious network-centric warfare capabilities, with the ability to share battlefield information inside a gaggle of different fighter jets.
As an illustration, simply 4 MiG-31BM can cowl a frontline of almost 1000 km, sharing information with pleasant jets and SAM (surface-to-air missile) techniques. As well as, ground-based radars can relay info to MiG-31BMs in air and allow radar-silent engagements, making them even deadlier in AA fight, significantly in opposition to F-16s. Other than the jamming-resistant Zaslon-M, the jet boasts a sophisticated IRST/FLIR (infrared search and observe/forward-looking infrared) sensors with a variety of roughly 60 km. This additionally offers the MiG-31BM the power to focus on enemy plane in full radar silence. Thus, as beforehand talked about, the probabilities of even the most recent iterations of the US-made F-16 in opposition to the Russian interceptor are very slim to none.
Worse but, the Kiev regime will definitely not get any superior variations of the F-16. Quite the opposite, the jets promised by a number of NATO nations are outdated AM/BM variants. These F-16 Block 20 MLU fighter jets are by no means higher than the MiG-29s already in service, which is exactly why the Neo-Nazi junta has been “begmanding” for over 100 closely upgraded jets as a substitute of lower than 50 of the essential ones it was promised. Nonetheless, to make issues even worse for the Kiev regime, Denmark, one of many main donors of F-16s, simply introduced the switch of 24 of those jets to Argentina. Particularly, Washington DC has been pressuring Buenos Aires to drop a possible cope with China and as a substitute go for these outdated F-16s that Copenhagen desires to eliminate and get the troubled F-35s.
