Diksia.com - Ukraine's long-awaited F-16 fighter jets to fight Russia will soon be available. The Ukrainian Air Force also said it was preparing for the arrival of the F-16s by building underground warehouses and bunkers at air bases to protect them if they were attacked by Russia.
Maj. Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said Ukraine's plans for F-16 security at the base were being carefully developed.
“This effort requires proper preparation of the base site. This requires high costs, including underground shelters and bunkers. Therefore, methods for the best operation are being developed,” he said, quoted by Insider's detikINET.
Yevlash also said Ukraine would station the jets at different bases, making it difficult for Russia to detect them.
Ukraine will receive its first F-16 aircraft around June, and its pilots have been training on the advanced jets in allied countries for months.
The planes will bolster Ukraine's air force, which is smaller and older than Russia's. The F-16 allows Ukraine to conduct more strikes against Russia while expanding its defensive capabilities.
Ukraine has been asking for U.S.-made F-16 aircraft since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, but the U.S. only agreed to a supply of these F-16s from its allies last summer.
Military aircraft are often the most at risk on a base. For this reason, countries concentrate weapons such as air defense systems around air bases.
The Associated Press reports that Ukraine will likely use Western air bases if it receives the F-16, as the jets require high-standard runways and protective hangars.
However, recent Air Force news shows that Ukraine plans to keep several F-16s in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned last month that Western air bases hosting F-16s destined for Ukraine were legitimate targets.
Former US military pilots believe Ukraine will be the most dangerous battlefield the F-16 has ever fought on, even though the fighter jet has been used in heavy combat for decades.
