I suppose an ‘F-16 airfield’ could be one where they keep the parts, mechanics, and support equipment specific to F-16s and their maintenance.
Other than that, the F-16 does not have any unique requirements for an airfield. It can take off and land from a 3500 ft strip if required, which is pretty much any paved runway.
All fighter jets are prone to sucking up any junk on the pavement, which damages the engine(s). Rocks, twigs, busted up hunks of concrete, dropped nuts and bolts, etc. So-called FOD (Foreign Object Debris causing Foreign Object Damage). The F-16 is a bit more vulnerable than most, but it’s a matter of degree not of kind.
As I noted above, the Soviets took pretty much the opposite tack to FOD. So running any western fighter out of a former Soviet airfield is going to take the airfield staff learning some new habits of cleanliness. And perhaps some quickie remediation of deteriorating (or battle damaged) concrete wherever it may be.
The good news about this adaptation is it’s all cheap low-tech materials and low-skilled labor. Training ground crew, repair technicians, and pilots, and supplying all the needed spare parts & specialized tools will be a much larger, slower, and more expensive effort than will be spiffing up the airport.
A Mig 29 is more robust and is designed to operate out of unimproved air fields. They have FOD doors that close to prevent sucking up debris. Here’s a video of one taking off.. You can see the FOD doors blocking the intake until about 45 seconds into it and then they open. When they’re closed the engines pull air in from inlets on top. The plane is designed to take a beating.
This would be a excellent opportunity for Ukraine to strike elsewhere. Tie up Russian forces at Bakhmut.
Bakhmut has fallen.
Wagner says they have complete control, Ukraine says the situation is “critical”.
( And when Ukraine doesn’t even try to put a positive spin on their war reports, then you know it’s really,really bad.)
So after a half a year of western reporters making fun of Russia’s inability to fight in Bakhmut, it looks like Russia finally has some real success. The complete occupation of the destroyed city, which gives Russia space to move artillery into range to destroy two more major cities along the road from Bakhmut.
The only cost to Russia: 30 thousand soldiers, which is of no concern to Putin.
from an analysis piece in the Telegraph (quoted in a Yahoo link)
Modnote: As the hidden post is only from the point of view of Wagner, I hid it as it headlined incorrectly. @chappachula you are one more post like this away from being ejected from the this thread. Verify your information a bit more going forward!
my apologies.
I linked to two respectable British sources, the Guardian and the Telegraph. But I guess you’re right, they are only repeating Wagner’s claims and not verifying anything, so I’ll be more careful in the future. Sorry.
The worst problem was the first line you bolded. That is what got the post hidden.
okay.
Again, my apologies.
Wagner is claiming victory because they’re about to leave.
I saw that report on Guardian and was skeptical. Russia has moved reserve battalions to Bakhmut. I expect they’ll regain some lost territory but they’re a long way from total victory.
“Declare victory and go home” is a time-honored strategy.
A U.S. Defense Official has stated to CNN that the Ukrainian Air Force has already utilized a MIM-104 “Patriot” Air Defense System to Shoot Down a Russian Combat Aircraft that was described as “Far-Away” with many Ukrainian Sources claiming that the System was used in the Shoot Down of 4 Aircraft of the Russian Air Force on May 15th over the Bryansk Region including a Su-34 and Su-35 and 2 Mi-8 Transport Helicopters.
I think that’s exactly what they are doing. The Guardian article says they are leaving on the 25th. So I guess if Wagner is leaving, it’s up to the Russians to hold the city now, right? This way Wagner gets to say “we totally won, if Ukraine came back the next day and retook the city, that’s the Army’s fault, not ours!”
Politically, Wagner leaving Bakhmut right now is the best move possible for Prigozhin. He can claim they brought Russia a ‘victory’ on the eve before the Ukrainians launch their counter-attack and the Russians start losing lots of territory and battles…which Wagner will not be a part of.
I gather Prigozhin is claiming they have taken Bakhmut, and Zelensky isn’t exactly denying it
Of course, there could be a complicated game of expectation management going on. Perhaps Bakhmut is still serving to distract the Russians, even in whatever its condition is today.
Here’s another Bakhmut story. Looks like there’s still a Ukrainian presence and Zelenskyy isn’t saying they’ve lost it.
Some interesting questions about F-16s for Ukraine. How many planes? How quickly can they arrive? What weapons will come with them?
Link Jets to Ukraine: Crucial questions over supplying F-16s to Kyiv
21 May 2023
Latest US aid package to Ukraine. This is a drawdown, so it comes from existing US stocks and is available immediately for delivery.The capabilities in this package include:
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Laser-guided rocket system munitions;
• Demolition munitions;
• Armored bridging systems;
• Armored medical treatment vehicles;
• Trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment;
• Logistics support equipment;
• Thermal imagery systems;
• Spare parts and other field equipment.
I continue to suspect it is a sucker punch, like the Russians pulled on the Germans in Stalingrad in 1942/3.
For unknown reasons Australia seems to have stepped down its military support for Ukraine:
This year, the Australian government has made no major contributions to the defence of Ukraine with the exception of a small consignment of uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Hopefully that article will put a rocket up the government’s arse. We’re explicitly pivoting our military more towards missiles, ships, subs and planes, so presumably can at least end more Bushmasters plus the much-desired Hawkei.
Another great point in that article:
Ukrainians are buying us time – with their blood, sweat and tears – to allow us to correct the poor strategic assumptions about Russia and China of the past three decades. Their courage provides us a short window of opportunity to reorient and rise to the challenge of preserving our democratic systems against the onslaught of coercive behaviour, spying, information warfare and military aggression designed to shatter the cohesion of our communities.