The American multifunctional fighter of the fourth generation F-16, which does not have low radar visibility, will become an easy prey for modern anti-aircraft missile systems such as the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems in anti-aircraft combat. John Venable thinks so.

The ex-pilot of the US Air Force noted that he would not like to fly over Ukraine right now, realizing that such sorties “have no chance of success.” For these reasons, John Venable concluded that the transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine would not affect the course of hostilities and would not increase the likelihood of a positive outcome of the offensive operation announced by Kyiv.

“Fourth generation fighters have nothing to do on the modern battlefield,” summed up the US Air Force veteran. After what the American ex-pilot said, one gets the impression that, firstly, John Venable’s military outlook is within the limits of the words “handle, gas, pay”, and secondly, this pilot knows little about anything and, voluntarily or involuntarily, gives the Russian public homeric doses of information sedative.

To begin with, let us recall what the F-16 multifunctional fighter of the fourth generation is. As Gazeta previously wrote, the Lockheed Martin F-16 is one of the most successful and best-selling fighters on the global aviation market today. It can be called a kind of standard for a light fighter. As for the configuration of the F-16 Block 70/72, it includes numerous improvements that make this aircraft an even more formidable opponent.

According to experts, the 70/72 modification provides enhanced combat capabilities compared to previous versions of this vehicle. A kind of highlight of the F-16 Block 70/72 is the airborne active phased array radar (AESA), a modern commercial avionics subsystem (COTS), a high-resolution widescreen display. Operational capabilities are enhanced with the Link-16 Theater Data Link, improved Sniper scope, advanced weapons, accurate GPS navigation and Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

Today, in the aviation segment of the arms market, the dominant offers are the F-16 Block 70/72, F-18E/F, F-15SA/QA, Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen E/F, F-35 models.

As for the statement of John Venable “the transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine will not affect the course of hostilities and will not increase the likelihood of a positive outcome of the offensive operation”, these words have nothing to do with reality. How it will affect, and how it will increase.

The point here is not even in fighters, but in their number. For example, five fighter jets handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, of course, will not affect anything and will not increase anything. But if the Air Force of Ukraine receives more than 100 vehicles, then this can lead to the most significant consequences for the RF Armed Forces on the battlefield.

Now about the following words of the ex-pilot of the US Air Force: “without low radar visibility, in anti-aircraft combat, the F-16 will become easy prey for modern anti-aircraft missile systems such as the S-400 Triumph air defense system.

In part, we can agree with this statement. Indeed, if only a few fighters are sent into the contested airspace, then when entering the zones of destruction of the S-300, S-400 and Buk-M3 air defense systems, combat vehicles can indeed be relatively easily hit by fire from anti-aircraft missile divisions (batteries).

But no one has been fighting for so long. Suppose the West gave Ukraine fourth-generation fighter jets. Moreover, this can happen even with the start of the offensive operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has been talked about so much lately. Again, not only the combat vehicles themselves will transmit, but they will definitely support their actions by a number of other aircraft.

To perform combat missions, tactical aviation units and formations usually create several echelons and groups. As a rule, they include a strike echelon and an air defense fire suppression echelon, a group of active jammers, a distraction (demonstrative) group, a cover group from fighter aircraft, early warning and control aircraft, combat control and target designation aircraft. Anti-radar missiles, false targets, unmanned aerial vehicles will be used in large volumes. From the ground, aviation operations will be necessarily supported by subunits and units of electronic warfare, fire from operational-tactical missile systems.

There is no doubt that each air-missile strike will be comprehensively prepared. To this end, reconnaissance of strike targets will be actively conducted, the surrounding terrain, hidden approaches to targets will be studied, and the air defense system will be especially carefully opened. Pilots will preliminarily master flight routes and methods of action on targets, up to the use of terrain models.

Aviation tactics will certainly be distinguished by great flexibility and the absence of even a hint of a pattern (the Americans, it must be admitted, are great masters in this). Even in those cases where success will be achieved at the cost of even insignificant losses, the methods and methods of combat use of the Air Force will immediately undergo the necessary changes.

So the fight against an air enemy for the air defense systems of the RF Armed Forces will by no means be an easy task. And the ex-pilot of the US Air Force F-16, John Venable, actually claims – yes, all this is nonsense, you can knock it down like flies, with one left, absolutely not straining. This apparently means only one thing. Either the American pilot needs to thoroughly update his own knowledge of aviation tactics, or his statements are part of the disinformation actions on the part of the collective West, an information sedative for the Russian society.