Leej twg tuaj yeem cob qhia Ukrainian pilots ya cov F-16s lawv tsis xav kom tau txais?

Lub asthiv dhau los, cov ntawv ceeb toom tau tshwm sim los lees paub tias ob khub ntawm Ukrainian pilots nyob hauv Tebchaws Meskas rau kev ntsuam xyuas ntawm lawv lub peev xwm ya thiab sib ntaus sib tua siv F-16s. Thaum Thawj Tswj Hwm thiab Biden cov thawj coj tau rov hais dua lub tswv yim ntawm kev muab F-16s rau Ukraine, qhov kev ntsuam xyuas qhia tias nws yuav tsis yog qhov muaj peev xwm xwb tab sis kev ua haujlwm qhuav rau leej twg tuaj yeem cob qhia lawv thiab qhov twg.

Ukrainian pilots yog nyob rau hauv kev ntsuam xyuas los ntawm lub 162nd Wing ntawm Arizona Air National Guard, nyob ib sab ntawm Tucson International Tshav Dav Hlau hauv Tucson, Ariz. Lub Wing ua haujlwm plaub pab tub rog nrog txog 70-80 F-16s thiab paub txog nws qhov kev paub dav dav hauv kev cob qhia kev muag tub rog txawv teb chaws (FMS) cov neeg siv khoom los ua haujlwm. F-16.

Raws li tsab ntawv ceeb toom hauv Politico, cov kws tsav dav hlau yuav nyob hauv Asmeskas ob peb lub lis piam, thaum lub sijhawm lawv yuav raug soj ntsuam hauv F-16 simulators ntawm 162nd es tsis yog ya nws lub dav hlau (txawm li cas los xij, lawv tuaj yeem mus nce siab hauv lub rooj zaum rov qab ntawm 162nd ob. -Qhov chaw F-16Ds tsis tuaj yeem txiav tawm).

Qhov kev ntsuam xyuas yuav ua haujlwm tsis yog tsuas yog ua tus thawj coj ntawm lub sijhawm kawm ntau npaum li cas Ukrainian Air Force pilots yuav tsum tau ua "zoo txaus" los ntiav F-16s tab sis tej zaum lwm cov neeg tawm tsam sab hnub poob zoo li Saab Gripen. Qhov muaj peev xwm uas Ukraine tuaj yeem tau txais cov neeg tsis yog Asmeskas cov tub rog tau raug tsa los ntawm ntau tus neeg ua haujlwm suav nrog Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown uas tau hais txog Gripen, Fab Kis Rafale thiab Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon li cov neeg tuaj sib tw rau Ukraine lub neej yav tom ntej nkoj thaum Lub Xya Hli 2022 Aspen. Security Forum lub caij ntuj sov dhau los.

Ukraine tau thov tshwj xeeb rau F-16s thiab hauv tsab ntawv Lub Ob Hlis mus rau Thawj Tswj Hwm ib pab pawg neeg tsim cai lij choj tau hais kom cov thawj coj muab lawv lossis lwm tus neeg tua rog rau Ukrainians. Tab sis cov neeg tsis ntseeg zoo li tus tuav ntaub ntawv hauv qab ntawm kev tiv thaiv rau txoj cai, Colin Kahl, tau lees tias F-16s tsis yog qhov tseem ceeb rau Ukraine txoj kev sib ntaus sib tua zoo li hauv av tiv thaiv huab cua, drones, armor thiab tshuab tshuab.

Qhov kawg suav nrog M1 Abrams tso tsheb hlau luam uas Thawj Tswj Hwm Biden nyuam qhuav cog lus rau Ukraine. Lawv qhov kev muab tsa ua ib qho kev nthuav qhia. Hauv tib lub rooj sib tham thaum Lub Ob Hlis lig ua ntej Pawg Neeg Pabcuam Hauv Tsev uas Kahl tau thov tias lwm yam riam phom tseem ceeb dua li F-16, Pawg Neeg Saib Xyuas Pawg Neeg Sawv Cev Democrat Adam Smith, tau hais txog lub sijhawm rau kev hloov pauv F-16 yog qhov ua tsis tau.

Qhov xwm txheej zoo tshaj plaws uas nws tau hais yog tias "tej zaum peb tuaj yeem tau txais qee qhov kev ua haujlwm F-16 rau hauv Ukraine hauv ib xyoos, tej zaum yim lub hlis yog tias peb thawb nws tiag." Qhov kev xav ntawd zoo li tsis muaj teeb meem rau Abrams tso tsheb hlau luam uas tub rog Secretary Christine Wormuth tsis ntev los no hais tej zaum yuav tsis raug xa mus rau Ukraine thaum kawg ntawm lub xyoo lossis thaum pib ntawm 2024.

Thaum cov thawj coj saib xyuas thiab qee tus hauv Congress txo qis qhov muaj peev xwm ntawm Ukraine-bound F-16s, lwm lub suab sib txuas tau zoo tau nthuav tawm cov ntawv sib txawv suav nrog Adm. (Ret) Mike Mullen, uas tau ua tus Thawj Coj Thawj Coj hauv Thawj Tswj Hwm Obama. Hais lus rau CNN Hnub Monday, nws hais tias, "Ntau tus neeg tab tom caum F-16 ... thiab kuv xav tias thaum kawg peb yuav tau mus rau F-16s."

Yog tias Asmeskas yuav, sai dua lossis tom qab, muab F-16s, Ukrainian pilots thiab cov neeg ua haujlwm hauv av yuav ua haujlwm li cas?

Ukrainians mus ntsib 162nd Wing twb qhia peb txoj kev pom tseeb tshaj plaws. Raws li deb rov qab thaum xyoo 1980s, Wing tau tuav thiab cob qhia cov tub rog Dutch dav hlau ya davhlau F-16 thiab nyob rau nruab nrab xyoo 1990, nws yog lub tsev kawm ntawv thoob ntiaj teb Asmeskas rau Viper. Nyob rau hauv lub xyoo caum uas tau ua raws li 162nd tau kawm feem ntau ntawm txawv teb chaws F-16 aircrews los ntawm European mus rau cov neeg ua haujlwm Asian.

Daim ntawv teev npe suav nrog Poland, uas tau txais F-16s hauv 2006. Polish Air Force aircrews thiab cov kws kho mob tau pib kev cob qhia nrog 162nd pib xyoo 2004. Tab sis Wing tsis tsuas yog tuav cov tub ntxhais kawm txawv tebchaws hauv Tucson. Nws tseem ua kev cob qhia hauv ib tus neeg siv lub tebchaws. 162nd cov pab pawg cob qhia txawb tau ua cov chav kawm hauv ntau lub tebchaws thoob ntiaj teb suav nrog Poland.

Qhov ua tau ntawm kev cob qhia Ukrainian pilots nyob rau hauv Poland nyob sib ze tau tsa thaum ntxov nyob rau hauv 2022, raws li yog muaj peev xwm ntawm kev cob qhia Ukrainian rog ntawm lwm yam riam phom systems. Nyob rau hauv txhua txoj kev, Ukrainian tub rog cov tswv cuab twb tau kawm tiav los ntawm Asmeskas tub rog tub rog ntawm ntau hom riam phom tsis tau tshaj tawm hauv tebchaws Poland txawm tias qhov no tsis tau lees paub.

Thaum lub Ib Hlis lig, Ukraine thov hais tias tsoomfwv Polish tau txais kev muab nws nrog F-16s, ua raws li cov kav dej rau cov dav hlau los ntawm lwm qhov chaw lossis tej zaum cov dav hlau qub los ntawm nws lub nkoj. Raws li nrog rau yav dhau los thawb kom hloov Polish Mig-29s rau Ukraine, NATO thiab Asmeskas tau nchuav dej txias rau ntawm lub tswv yim. Qhov ntawd tsis txhais hais tias nws tuaj yeem raug txiav tawm, txawm hais tias qhov teeb meem ntawm kev cob qhia Ukrainian pilots tseem nyob.

Txawm li cas los xij muaj lwm txoj hauv kev. NATO-tus tswv cuab Romania ua haujlwm laus F-16s thiab US Air Force twb ua haujlwm F-16s hauv lub luag haujlwm huab cua los ntawm Mihail Kogalniceanu tub rog hauv paus nyob rau sab hnub tuaj ntawm lub tebchaws. Xa ib pab 162nd mobile cob qhia nyob rau ntawd los cob qhia Ukrainian pilots kuj yuav logistically ua hauj lwm.

Tsis tas li ntawd, Romania tau pom zoo xyoo tas los purchase 32 siv F-16s los ntawm Norway. Hauv 2019, Lockheed MartinLMT
thiab Norway tau pom zoo koom ua ke tsim thawj F-16 "Falcon Depot" chaw hauv lub tebchaws los txhawb nqa thoob ntiaj teb F-16 nkoj. F-16s khi rau Romania los ntawm lub chaw depot hauv Kjeller, Norway, tuaj yeem hloov mus rau USAF cov kws qhia nyob ntawd thiab muaj peev xwm xa mus rau Ukraine nrog cov kws qhia Ukrainian pilots.

Ib qho uas muaj peev xwm saib tsis tau (lossis tsawg kawg tsis tau hais tawm rau pej xeem) kev xaiv rau kev cob qhia Ukrainian pilots uas yuav tsawg kawg yog muab (tenuous) semantic deb rau US officialdom yuav kom lawv kawm los ntawm ib los yog ntau tshaj ntawm ntau private "Red Air" yeeb ncuab tuam txhab uas muag tam sim no hauv kev lag luam.

Tuam Tshoj twb tau teeb tsa qhov tsis xis nyob rau qhov no. Xyoo tas los, cov lus ceeb toom ntawm Suav nrhiav neeg ua haujlwm ntawm Western pilots los cob qhia nrog PLA Cua Dag Zog Yuam ua cov xov xwm. Lub teb chaws tau tawm tsam qhov kev thuam ntawm nws txoj kev siv rau ntiav ntiav cov neeg tawm tsam tus kheej kom nkag siab txog cov neeg sab hnub poob, cov tswv yim thiab cov lus qhuab qhia ua ke. Ukraine tuaj yeem sib cav siv tib txoj kev yog tias tsim nyog, hais kom Russia yws yws rau nws cov phooj ywg Suav.

Yog tias cov neeg Ukrainians ua li ntawd, lawv yuav muaj kev xaiv yooj yim hauv kev cog lus kev pabcuam kev pabcuam tuam txhab, Sab saum toj Aces. Raws li hauv Mesa, Ariz., me ntsis dhau 115 mais ntawm 162nd FW, Top Aces tam sim no ua haujlwm ntawm 29 ex-Israeli F-16A/Bs nruab nrog lub tuam txhab Advanced Aggressor Lub Hom Phiaj uas suav nrog AESA radar, Helmet-Mounted Cueing thiab Infrared Search thiab Track systems, advanced electronic attack pods thiab ntau dua.

Thaum Ukraine yuav muaj nuj nqis rau F-16s raws li cov cuab yeej tiv thaiv huab cua, muaj peev xwm tua cov dav hlau Lavxias, drones thiab missiles, lawv yeej muaj peev xwm tom qab Vipers lub peev xwm tawm tsam thiab kev txhawb nqa huab cua ze lawv tuaj yeem muab Ukrainian av rog. Sab saum toj Aces tsis feem ntau qhia "Blue Air" cov tub ntxhais kawm tawm tsam tab sis nws cov qub tub rog F-16 pilots (qee tus tuaj ntawm 162nd) tau paub zoo nrog F-16 huab cua-rau-nto tshuab / riam phom.

Lawv tuaj yeem ncav cuag kev cob qhia Ukrainian aircrews ob qho tib si hauv F-16 kev ua haujlwm dav hlau thiab kev ua haujlwm riam phom nrog qee qhov kev pab cuam los ntawm Pentagon. Zoo li Arizona Air Guard's F-16 Wing, lawv kuj tuaj yeem ua txoj hauv kev mus rau txoj kev, cob qhia cov neeg Ukrainians hauv Tebchaws Europe hauv qhov chaw uas cov dav hlau yuav raug xa mus rau lawv.

Lub tuam txhab ntiag tug tus yeeb ncuab yuav xav tau kev tshem tawm los ntawm DoD thiab US State Department los muab Ukraine nrog cov kev pabcuam kev cob qhia tab sis qhov ntawd tuaj yeem tau txais yog tias muaj kev xaiv nom tswv nyob ntawd. Lwm cov neeg muab kev pabcuam Red Air uas ntiav ex-USAF F-16 pilots tuaj yeem ua haujlwm zoo ib yam.

Hauv 2021, Florida-based Draken International tshaj tawm tias nws muaj nrhiav ib lub kaum os qub Netherlands Air Force F-16s thiab ntxiv rau lwm lub kaum os ex-Norwegian Air Force Vipers lig tib lub xyoo. Kev muag khoom Dutch tau muab tso rau ntawm "stand-by" lub Xya Hli dhau los tab sis Norway kev yuav khoom tseem nyob ntawm txoj kev. Yog tias Draken nyob deb txaus nrog rau nws daim ntawv txais nyiaj thiab kev kho dua tshiab ntawm Norwegian F-16s, lawv kuj tuaj yeem muab kev cob qhia kev xaiv.

Interestingly, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wopke Hoekstra, qhia Lub Ib Hlis Ntuj uas Netherlands tab tom saib rau qhov muaj peev xwm muab Ukraine nrog qee qhov ntawm 61 F-16s nws tau so haujlwm hauv kev pom zoo F-35. Muaj xov xwm me ntsis ntxiv tab sis Vipers muaj xws li, muaj peev xwm, yog lwm tus.

Saib los ntawm Ukraine-lens, qhov tsis tau tshaj tawm mus ntsib los ntawm US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, rau Iraq rau hnub Tuesday tau hu ua kev saib xyuas tsis yog txuas ntxiv Asmeskas kev txhawb nqa rau Iraq nyob rau hauv lub ntsej muag ntawm Iranian kev cuam tshuam tsis ntev los no hauv Iraqi tab sis kuj rau F- 16s tam sim no dag siv los ntawm Iraqi Air Force (IAF).

Hauv xyoo 2021, IAF tau sawv ntawm nws lub nkoj ntawm 36 Block 52 F-16s tom qab Asmeskas (Lockheed Martin) cov neeg saib xyuas / txhawb nqa. sab laug Iraq's Balad Air Base tom qab kev hem thawj thiab tawm tsam los ntawm Iran cov tub rog txhawb nqa. Nrog rau IAF tsis tuaj yeem muab kev saib xyuas cov organic rau lub dav hlau, nws tsis paub meej tias lawv tau ya npaum li cas txij thaum ntawd los. Yog tias lawv tsis muaj peev xwm txheeb xyuas, lawv muaj peev xwm sawv cev rau lub pas dej ua ke ntawm F-16s siab heev uas tuaj yeem, nrog rau Asmeskas kev lees paub thiab offsets rau Iraq, muaj rau Ukraine.

Txawm hais tias qhov ua tau ntawm F-16 hloov pauv los ntawm Middle Eastern lub teb chaws yuav qis, nws yog ib qho kev ceeb toom ntawm cov neeg coob coob ntawm F-16s hauv lub ntiaj teb cov saw hlau. Qhov no ua ke nrog cov khoom muaj txiaj ntsig ntawm tam sim no thiab yav dhau los F-16 pilots nrog rau sab hnub poob kev cob qhia nyob rau hauv European thiab Esxias huab cua rog.

Private adversary air services tuam txhab uas muag los ntawm Textron'sTXT
Huab cua Tactical Advantage (ATAC) Inc. rau Florida-based Kev them nyiaj yug Tactical Air Tus lej qub F-16 tus tsav dav hlau ntawm lawv cov neeg ua haujlwm. USAF tseem muaj lwm lub tsev kawm ntawv F-16 rau FMS cov neeg siv khoom (xws li Singapore) ntawm Ebbing Air National Guard Base hauv Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Kev sib xyaw ua ke ntawm Ukraine qhov kev xav tsis thoob qhov teeb meem nrog F-16 qhov chaw tau yooj yim nrog rau ntau lub sijhawm ua tub rog thiab cov kev qhia tshwj xeeb qhia txog qhov muaj peev xwm tiag tiag uas Ukraine yuav tau txais F-16s nws tsis yog yuav tsum tau txais. Raws li lub moos zuam, lub siab los muab ob qho tib si yuav tsis tuaj yeem tiv taus.