this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2024
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I don't.
The support network needed to effectively use the F-35 is huge, it would waste manpower better used for other tasks.
Do you have other suggestions?
More f16, more 155, more patriot, more nasams, more more more.
F-16s and Gripens are what is needed right now.
Then I can see F-14s comming in as nations like Finland move to the F-35.
F/A-18, not F14 :-)
F14’s are the one you see in Top Gun, and Finland has never used them. They’re all in museums already, except for Iran’s clunkers. At least on paper.
F35 strike missions from Poland
Legacy hornets would be great, since they’re more rugged than F-16s.
Viggens and early (or late, if there are any to spare!) models of the aforementioned Grippens would be fantastic, as they were designed to operate in battlefield near-frontline conditions and are quite robust.
Also, literally anything reasonably modern that we have squirreled away at AMARG. And we have a lot.
Edit: not to mention, any relatively modern Mirage model (I don’t think there are any disused Rafales, unfortunately) could be useful. Tornadoes… possible, but questionable, as they’re on the edge of obsolescence… but at the same time they do have the virtue of being available (and I’d think they’d probably be as good or better than an old Su-24).
Edit 2: also when are we gonna give them a few dozen AIM-174B’s
There's about a thousand mothballed F16s in NATO alone, and its still a production model. That's more than Ukraine could ever hope to field.
Gripen sounds like a perfect fit. From the little I know about it, I got the impression it can be operated, just fine, under non-ideal conditions. Like using roads as runways, easier maintenance with less personel than usual and so on. I learned that from watching very short videos, so you might want to double check.
I think it makes sense: Gripen was developed by a small country close to Russia, with no reason to fear anyone but Russia. So kind of designed for the defensive underdog role.
The F-16 and even more so the F-35, are more demanding on organisation and logistics, I believe. Great when you have the capability to double down on it, not so useful when your Hinterland is constantly bombarded. Like I heard they have trouble keeping electricity and water going. Not sure if maintaining a fleet of 35s is possible under these conditions. Fingers crossed they can make good use of the 16s.
A lot more of everything. A lot.