Ukraine’s Airpower Upgrade: Assessing the F-16 as a Strategic Choice
The F-16 is heading to Ukraine. Let’s look at it’s history.
With multiple announcements of late that the F-16 is heading to Ukraine, we figured it was time to take a further dive into the platform and look at its history and what it can offer while operating on Ukrainian territory. While being one of the worlds most successful light weight fighters, there’s a big difference between the Block 10/15’s that were originally designed through to the current era Block 70 models that are currently flown. It’s these differences we’ll attempt to look at in today’s article as well and the weapons availability and what we can expect to see when they arrive.
Evolution:
As the 70’s moved in to full swing, there was a new strategic focus on the military. With the Cold War appearing to have no end in sight, and the USSR providing a shock in the form of the MiG-25 Interceptor, the iron curtain remained strong and the pressing need for a technological edge became more important than ever.
