F-16s pose high risk in Ukraine, but training and tactics offer hope.
If Ukraine receives the F-16s it has long sought, Kyiv's air force likely won't be flying them into Russian-held territory or dogfighting with Russian fighters right out of the gate. Instead, airpower experts say Ukraine will have to get creative with the forty-year-old fourth-generation fighters to really get results in battle. Air power could break the "slug fest," but that comes with the risks of downed F-16s. Regardless of which jet Ukraine gets, putting fourth-generation air power like the F-16 into a high-intensity conflict is "high risk," but going without that air power is even higher risk.