Ukraine finally received F-16 fighter jets — but might not be able to use them how it wants

• Ukraine is finally getting the F-16s it wanted, and can deploy them soon.
• But it may not use them for the kind of frontline offensives it wanted to.
• Ukraine's top general said they'd likely need to stay away from the front to avoid being shot down.

Ukraine finally received F-16 fighter jets after more than a year of waiting.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday that the first batch had arrived.

Officials later confirmed to the Associated Press that some F-16s were indeed in Ukraine.

Four NATO members — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands — had all pledged to send dozens of them.

A source with knowledge of the matter told The Times of London that six F-16s had arrived from the Netherlands, with more to come from Denmark.

The jet will significantly improve Kyiv's fleet of outdated Soviet-era planes, enhancing its defense and offense and upping its firepower.

However, they come with big limitations.

Ukraine only has a few planes, and only a few pilots trained to use them. Also, Russia has its own planes and air defense which could take them down.

This means Ukraine may not use its F-16s for the frontline offensives it would prefer, according to military experts and Ukraine's top general.

Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute who served in Australia's air force, said Ukraine would have to be cautious.

He said its small number of aircraft and few pilots would mean Ukraine has to prioritize avoiding losses, so it can fly the F-16s as long as possible.

This, he told BI, means the F-16s will need to be "well-protected" while on the ground and deployed mostly for operations "well within" Ukrainian airspace, where they are safest.

"The main threat to them is long-range Russian SAMs (S-400s) and Russian fighters staying inside Russian air space but launching long-range air-to-air missiles into Ukrainian airspace," he said.

Both of those dangers are most acute near Russian territory.

If Ukraine's F-16s do get close to the front lines, they will need to stay at "very" low altitudes to hide from Russian radar, said Justin Bronk, a Russia and air-warfare expert at the UK's Royal United Services Institute.

"Getting closer to the front lines than 40kms will carry significantly increased risk," he said.

"I suspect that initially, pilots will stay back while they continue to build experience on the jet," he added.

Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's top general, spoke in similar terms to the Guardian last week, saying F-16s would likely need to stay at least 40 kilometers from the front.

He cited Russia's "superior aviation" and "very strong" defenses.

Ukraine also faces challenges when it comes to logistics around the F-16s.

Marina Miron, a postdoctoral researcher at the War Studies Department at King's College London, said Ukraine needs to set up a network of radar stations, reinforced hangars, a supply of spare parts, refueling systems, and quality airfields.

"So many associated issues need to be sorted out," she told the Associated Press .

Ukraine may also lack soldiers with adequate training.

A former Department of Defense official told Politico in May that only 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots — half of the 40 required to fly a full squadron of 20 aircraft — were anticipated to graduate by the end of this year.

And because pilots are needed for war service, Ukraine cannot afford to part with too many for long periods of training abroad, an unnamed defense official told The Washington Post last Sunday.

During an interview at the Reagan Institute last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there may be too few F-16s to make a difference on the battlefield.

"Even if we will have 50, it's nothing. They have 300," he said of Russia's number of combat aircraft. He said 128 F-16s would be needed to make a difference.

"The problem with F-16 is the number and the dates," he added.