TRM said:

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JB!98 said:

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EMY92 said:

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JobSecurity said:

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Military/aero guys - what's the lead time on an F16? Dumb question but I assume we don't keep 'excess' that we could sell immediately?

US working with Poland/others who want to give Ukraine Soviet-made fighter jets, I’m told, confirming @Dimi’s report. But it’s complicated. The Eastern Europeans want military readiness, so want US to backfill their fleets with F-16s—but that takes long time with bids/building.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 5, 2022

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It takes a long time to learn how to effectively fight with an aircraft. Just because they are pilots, they don't know how to use the F-16 in a fight. I'm sure that an intensive 1 month training could get them to the point they'd have a chance to survive.

There is also the logistical side. Can their Soviet era refueling equipment work on an F-16. What about weapons? Tools for the maintenance crews? Spare parts, the list goes on. It's not like going to the rental counter and picking up a car brand that you don't own.

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I dont think that we are talking about supplying the Ukes with F-16's. We are talking about giving them Polish Migs and then selling/loaning the Polish F-16's to replace them.

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And the Polish already have F-16s in their fleet.

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Even with an infusion of combat aircraft, the most important challenge remains where can the Ukrainians operate them out of with a reasonable degree of safety? Even though the airspace is contested, there is no proper airbase that will remain out of range for Russian air and missile strikes and it would all be for nothing if POL tanks / ammo depots etc are effectively struck.

Their best bet may be to disperse whatever aircraft they can get their hands on and operate them from rural stretches of roads in areas that afford concealment (e.g. forests) but there are obviously no approach plates for those kinds of places and it would require seriously skilled pilots to be feasible.

For those counting, the Polish have 48 F16s of the block 52 (C's and D's) variety. I have no idea what that designation includes from a capability perspective but that's what I could find online. Supposedly the most advanced F16s in NATO aside from ours.

Information is a little dated though.

A lot of space still available in the west and Russia may be hesitant to risk attacks too close to NATO borders. A bit of a "**** around and find out" statement.

✍️The tenth day of Russian Invasion - summary of situation on all frontlines, including maps. Available on https://t.co/UM08p4R5G2 #Ukraine #UkraineInvasion #UkraineRussiaWar

— MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) March 6, 2022

ETA: I read this as last week they couldn't guarantee.

White House told Poland it couldn’t guarantee it would send fighter jets to replace MiGs Warsaw might send to Ukraine.

Discussions underway. W/ ⁦@paulmcleary⁩ https://t.co/7NvyIi9ZBT pic.twitter.com/i9CPNreZNB

— Alex Ward (@alexbward) March 6, 2022

do they stiil bank in russia?

JB!98 said:

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There are a few of them there.

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There is still a production line cranking out F16s for export.

aggiehawg said:

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I am missing the Ukrainian statements that they are about to encircle Russian forces

Look at this map.

https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/The-War-in-Ukraine/091194

rab79 said:

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do they stiil bank in russia?

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Minimally. From when she lived in Moscow until 1 year ago.

Rossticus said:

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Crimea is why Putin thought he could pull this off. Inaction played a central part in bringing the world to this point. If Putin is allowed any measure of victory this will serve to further reinforce this type of operation as a valid course of action in his mind.

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Crimea is also why the Ukrainians are fighting so hard. They saw the world abandon them. It was not easy to be a citizen there after the Russians came in.

JB!98 said:

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bonfarr said:

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JB!98 said:

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There are a few of them there.

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There is still a production line cranking out F16s for export.

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Yeah, think the Poles would want them right now given the circumstances. I don't think Lockheed Martin is turning them out all that fast right now. Maybe 5-6 a month? The mothballed F-16's would provide a stop gap. Heck, we have about 1000 in our inventory, I would think we could spare 28 of them in a pinch.

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Doesn't the Air National Guard have hundreds of them in active use? I would think we could transfer some of those in inventory right away.

Ag In Ok said:

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aggiehawg said:

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I am missing the Ukrainian statements that they are about to encircle Russian forces

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Honestly if the Ukrainians are kinda keeping their plans secret until the complete the encirclement, I'm completely on board with that.

Not sure how many but I would think that we have more than 28.

Zelensky needs to get off Zoom A-Fing-SAP. I can't imagine trusting them at all.

#Ukraine: One of the first glimpses of a PPZR Piorun MANPADS in the hands of Ukrainian forces.

Essentially a very heavily upgraded 9K38 Igla, this Polish system was provided to UA recently and may help explain some of the the recent RuAF losses. pic.twitter.com/uZDtdcMdWr

— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) March 5, 2022

There are reports there is a major worker strike in Nizhnekamsk, Russia.

A day old, but still inspiring. Prague remembers a thing or two about the Soviets.

Prague tonight, during Zelenskyy's speech on the big screen aimed at European cities.
"Freedom, EU solidarity, and peace"#StopPutinNOW Peace will soon triumph. 🇺🇦 🙏#Ukraine #Putin #Zelensky #Kiev #Kyiv #UkraineUnderAttack #UkraineRussianWar #RussiaUkraineConflict pic.twitter.com/O5cnCEXfXp

— 10LOL (@TenLaughter) March 4, 2022

fullback44 said:

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Red Pear Realty said:

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Dude went postal

The Ukrainian soldier that today shot down the $45,000,000 Russian SU-35 jet is a retired postman, rejoined. https://t.co/U9wqRkS21T

— Expat in Kyiv (@expatua) March 5, 2022

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The Postman Delivered

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He delivers a different kind of package these days.

erudite said:

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There are reports there is a major worker strike in Nizhnekamsk, Russia.

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I believe that's the Turkish worker strike. Their salary is supposed to be tied to the US dollar but Russia paid them according to the old exchange rate.
ETA:
https://www.rferl.org/a/tatarstan-ruble-turkish-workers/31737960.html

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Turkish workers at the Gemont factory in Russia's Tatarstan region have protested that their U.S.-dollar pegged salaries are being paid using an exchange rate from before the ruble plunged in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Officials in Tatarstan's Nizhnekamsk district, where the Turkish-owned factory is located, said on March 5 that the workers demanded their salaries be paid at the current rate, which is 111 rubles to $1, instead of the 79.5 rubles to $1 they were paid this week.

According to the officials, the workers stopped the protest after the factory administration agreed to pay the salary at a rate of 90 rubles to $1.

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fightingfarmer09 said:

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Rossticus said:

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Crimea is why Putin thought he could pull this off. Inaction played a central part in bringing the world to this point. If Putin is allowed any measure of victory this will serve to further reinforce this type of operation as a valid course of action in his mind.

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Crimea is also why the Ukrainians are fighting so hard. They saw the world abandon them. It was not easy to be a citizen there after the Russians came in.

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Crimea is also historically not "Ukrainian". The Russians have a pretty strong claim to the region as it was transferred in 1954 (against the own law of the USSR, but I digress) to commemorate 300 years of the Russo-Ukrainian union in the treaty of Pereyaslav.
It would be like if Biden transferred the original lands of Texas as claimed now in OK, AZ, CO, WY, KS to Texas to mark the 177th anniversary of Texas being admitted to the Union.

Edit: Forgot this, Ukrainians claiming they have captured Russians and traitors trying to form alternative Ukrainian government

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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has captured a collaborator of the Russian intelligence services and multiple other people who have attempted the creation of a "Federal Republic of Ukraine" centered in Ivano-Frankivsk which would have included Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Lviv, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi.

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Check out that mud

Селянам халявная российская САУшка привалила https://t.co/SzWj4O2Kbe #RussianUkrainianWar #всрф pic.twitter.com/FP1aOUdkFA

— Necro Mancer (@666_mancer) March 5, 2022