Pilot named the number of F-16 fighters needed for parity with the Russians.

Ukraine needs 200 F-16 fighters to achieve parity with Russia

Ukraine needs at least 200 F-16 fighters to ensure parity with Russia in the airspace, said Colonel of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Lykhodid. He believes that 10-20 aircraft at the front do not have significant importance, especially when it is necessary to learn to operate F-16 fighters in wartime conditions.

According to Lykhodid, the F-16 will be the main machine of the Air Forces of Ukraine, while the country's leadership is considering the acquisition of other types of fighters, which, in his opinion, will not be able to provide the same level of efficiency. He also noted that for the operation of F-16 fighters, cooperation with the West is best suited, as other machines have different interchangeable parts.

In the pilot's opinion, to ensure security in various regions of Ukraine, the country needs about 200 fighters. He named four directions where defense needs to be ensured: Kharkiv direction, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Lviv, as well as central Ukraine.

Let us remind you that the United States is considering the possibility of transferring medium-range missiles to Ukraine for F-16 fighters as part of a new $375 million military aid package. Also, Denmark promises to transfer an additional batch of F-16 fighters to Ukraine in the near future.

According to an article in The New York Times, by 2024, Ukraine will be able to have no more than ten F-16 fighters on the battlefield.