Where Are the Pilots?
ISW: Ukraine needs 150 F-16s to gain air-superiority
How do you achieve air superiority with 150 fighter jets against an enemy operating 300 aircraft? It’s quite intriguing that Western and Ukrainian planners consider 150 to be a critical number, where the balance of air power would shift favorably toward Ukraine. I believe it could. There’s much that can be accomplished with 150 jets, and it’s entirely plausible to decisively win this war once and for all.
According to Institute for the Study of War (ISW):
Ukrainian and Western officials have previously indicated that it will take significant time to adequately train enough Ukrainian pilots and equip Ukrainian forces with the roughly at least 150 F-16s necessary to gain the air superiority necessary to support ground operations.
Ukrainian officials have also identified their envisioned use of F-16s and other fixed-wing aircraft to constrain Russian aviation operations.
Achieving this isn’t particularly difficult, and we may already be halfway there. Currently, 65 fighter jets have been pledged to Ukraine by the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. If Belgium and Greece increase their commitments, progress could accelerate.
