Major Ukraine Update

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The Air Force general in charge of air and missile defense across Europe
says that donated F-16 Fighting Falcons wouldn't necessarily help Ukraine
win the skies in its fight against Russia. Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe as well as Air
Forces Africa and Allied Air Command, told Military.com on Monday (3/6)
evening that he's not surprised by the country's desire to have F-16s but
doubts the aircraft's overall effectiveness in repelling Moscow's year-old
invasion.
"I think it's going to help them a little bit"; Hecker told Military.com. "I don't think it's going to be a game changer. It's not like a fifth-generation aircraft would be or anything like that.";
Hecker's comments, made during the Air and Space Force Association's Air
Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, this week, come as Ukraine
surpasses the one-year mark and the country continues to ask for more
military aid, including fighter jets, from the U.S. and a global coalition of allies.
Last week, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN
that President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16s to Ukraine for now. But,
notably, two Ukrainian pilots are reportedly in the U.S. undergoing an
assessment to see how long it could take to train them to fly attack aircraft,
including F-16s.
Hecker said he believes the overall focus should remain on helping build up
Ukraine's missile defense systems,
"What I would concentrate more on is that defensive aspect, and what the
countries are actually doing, which is giving them more [Integrated Air
Defense Systems], so surface-to-air missiles and those kinds of things to
shoot down the targets that are coming at them,&"; Hecker said. "So, that's
where I'd probably concentrate my efforts.";

Many experts believed in the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022 that its
air forces would quickly level Ukraine's fleet -- something that has not yet
been achieved.
"I think most of us thought that that was going to be a 10-day war,"; Hecker
told reporters. "At least, I can tell you that I thought it was going to be, but
because of the will of the Ukrainian people and the lack of either side being
able to get air superiority ... what you see right now is just a bunch of artillery,
as well as HIMARS, pounding each other.";
Ukraine began asking for more modern F-15 Eagle and F-16 fighter jets from
the U.S. and western allies shortly after Russia's invasion. The country's air
force insisted the jets could be quickly pushed into the fight against Russia,
saying Ukrainian "pilots can learn to fly these with just 2-3 weeks of training";
But experts previously told Military.com that providing those high-tech aircraft
would ultimately create more problems than solutions for the U.S. and
Ukraine.
The U.S. is the largest operator of the F-15 and F-16, which have been used
in numerous conflicts in recent decades. They were developed for lightning
fast speed and durability in a variety of weather environments and are armed
with high-tech radar and long-range missiles.
But giving those aircraft to Ukraine isn't a simple task. Along with the
necessary pilot training, providing Ukraine with F-15s and F-16s would mean
any donor nation would also need to supply an abundance of parts,
maintenance crews to train their military, and runway preparation.
Hecker notes it "not an unreasonable ask from Ukraine, especially because
of the fight it has faced this past year."
"You know, for them to ask, I would expect nothing less"; Hecker told
Military.com. "If I was in their shoes, I would be asking for it".
-- Thomas Novelly