“[T]he creation of new mobile maintenance and operations modules — to both maintain and equip the aircraft and to conduct operations — will help [Ukraine’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets] evade Russian ballistic missile strikes.” ~ @kyivindependent_official 🇺🇦🛩️💙💛🛩️🇺🇦
#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost_ . . . Ukraine’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets have been given a badly-needed boost with the creation of new mobile maintenance and operations modules which will help them evade Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Developed by the Come Back Alive charity foundation and Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the two types of mobile modules contain everything needed to both maintain and equip the aircraft and to conduct operations.
F-16 fighter jets are crucial for Ukraine as they significantly strengthen its air defense and help counter ongoing Russian drone and missile attacks, which target both Ukrainian cities and military objects such as the airfields where F-16s are stationed.
“There is only a short time lag between finding the F-16s and then launching ballistic missiles,” Peter Layton, former Royal Australian Air Force officer and Associate Fellow at RUSI, told the Kyiv Independent.
“The key to F-16 survival when on the ground is not being found,” he added.
The extensive amount of crew and equipment needed to maintain F-16s has up until now limited where they could be deployed, but Layton said the new mobile complexes would open up the use of “less likely airfields, such as short and civilian air strips, or remote parts of large military airbases.”
“The F-16s are then widely dispersed so if one is found and targeted not all will be destroyed. It is a shell game,” he added.
Read the full story at the link in bio.
Photo: Come Back Alive charity foundation
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