“Italy can play its role more and better than others in the coalition created to help Ukrainians achieve peace f 16. In particular, the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni“Italy’s willingness to train pilots correctly interprets one of the qualities that characterize our country: training”.
Former Air Force Chief of Staff and military advisor to three Prime Ministers, Leonardo Tricarico, President of the ICSA Foundation, recalls: “Italy is at the forefront of the culture and professionalism of flight training, as evidenced by the list of those waiting for multiple nations access to International Flight Training School of Decimomannu, where even the British of the RAF wanted to enroll, something unprecedented and outrageous…».
Q16, why does Putin fear her? How they work, what weapons they have and the training node (it takes months)
Can the F-16s to the Ukrainians change the course of the war?
«Yes, as long as the use is clarified. It would be a mistake to give Giuseppe Conte the defensive role of the Kiev Air Force once this system is acquired. Does defending mean defending your skies from Russian incursions, or driving the invaders out of your territory even if the F-16s hit Russian targets on the ground? I believe in the second option. During the 1999 Kosovo War, the idea that prevailed in Brussels was that the F-16s should have sought out and destroyed individual Serbian tanks in Kosovo territory. It was considered reckless use at the time, a waste of potential, but that is exactly what needs to be done in Ukraine: hunt down individual Russian military vehicles or installations.”
How long will it take for the F-16s to be operational?
“The slowest car in this train is the one for technical operations and maintenance and for preparing the flight infrastructure.” We’re talking about six months. Under normal conditions the times would be longer, in war many steps have to be skipped. Crew preparation, on the other hand, will require two months for learning to fly and another two for the avionics and armament systems.”
The Americans have ordered not to attack on Russian territory…
“They wanted to tie an arm behind the Ukrainians’ backs, I personally disagree. Therefore, a country that has been invaded and reduced to rubble cannot return the favor. Not only do the missiles launch from Russia, but there are also fuel depots, logistics and communication routes.”
How likely is it that F-16s will be shot down?
“The skies of Ukraine must initially only be made accessible to Ukrainian vehicles. Anything that threatens them, from planes to helicopters, from drones to anti-aircraft guns, must be neutralized. First, the Russian surveillance radars in Ukraine must be attacked. There are special F-16s that use SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses), the AGM-88 HARM anti-missiles. Once the skies are clear of the Russian menace, the ground cleanup can proceed undisturbed. The problem of man-portable infrared missiles remains. It will be necessary to strike from a great height, only to descend below 5,000 meters in extreme emergencies and for the necessary time, it is to protect your own skin and the plane.”
There is talk of 125 F-16s ready for the Ukrainians…
“It could be more. Countries with F-16s – Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Greece… – are phasing them out in favor of F-35s. Americans have a lot of them. There are around 5,000 of them worldwide. It will not be difficult to give Ukrainians what they need.”
Will Russian fighters not be a problem?
“In the early stages of the war, the Russians had reservations about using them and stopped doing so. The Ukrainians have a western-supplied aerial surveillance system that can detect anything moving at speeds greater than 37 kilometers per hour. “Right now, the Russian Air Force is crass and shoddy.”
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on The Messenger