“One of the best planes ever”: This is how the F-16 handles, and this is what awaits Ukrainian pilots

The US gave the green flag by promising to send planes to the Netherlands and Denmark. The training process has already started and the former head of Squadron 301 “Jaguars” and former Deputy Training Director of the Portuguese Air Force described to CNN Portugal how the F-16 pilot’s training works.

The pilot describes it as “one of the best planes ever” for air combat. “Very adept at gaining air superiority”, they carry an array of weapons that can cause serious problems for the Russian military. Training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s has already begun, and CNN Portugal spoke to people who know the fighter “back of their hands” and the process these soldiers go through to learn to fly these fighters. .

“Though complex, they are easy to fly. They can operate day, night, in and out of clouds, can accurately attack targets on the ground or destroy enemy aircraft. They are highly advanced and highly modernized aircraft. One of the best aircraft to call upon.” dog fight“, says Colonel Nuno Montero da Silva, former F-16MLU pilot and former commander of Squadron 301 “Jaguars” of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP).

The Ukrainian pilots will face the biggest shock in the F-16 cockpit, already accustomed to the high speed of fighter jets. These North American fighter jets are very comfortable for the pilot. Unlike Soviet aircraft, where the pilot operated and pressed various buttons and switches to activate certain systems, Western systems were developed. It’s the system Hands on the throttle and stick (HOTAS, as pilots call him). By your hand Side stick And on the lever that allows you to increase the speed of the aircraft, the pilot has at his disposal all the capabilities of the F-16.

“With a hand on the stick and power lever, the pilot has a set of buttons that can be operated in multiple directions. It manages to operate the plane’s sensors, the radar, it manages to operate target [fixação de alvos], manages to operate electronic warfare systems. Without taking your hands off the stick and Throttle”, says Monteiro da Silva.

A weapon to ensure “air superiority”.

This system allows pilots to engage air-to-air and air-to-ground targets without taking their hands off the control system. This “simple” task can make a big difference in a Soviet-made aircraft like the MiG-29 operated by Ukraine. These are situations that lead officers to be unaware of what is happening around them, even for a few seconds. In a combat situation, those seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

“In a Soviet plane, sometimes you don’t need to take your hands off the stick Throttle, you have to turn your body to push a remote button. This diverts the pilot’s attention from what is most important and wastes time. “Western planes are more technically complex and help the pilot to communicate with the plane,” says Nuno Monteiro da Silva.

This happens because the F-16 is undergoing a constant modernization process. Although the aircraft is almost 50 years old, it is technologically behind fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 or F-35, but it has the most up-to-date technology. Portuguese Airlines, for example, received a Mid-life update (MLU) These bear little relation to the original planes of the 80s.

But for Ukraine, it depends on what kind of weapons the plane will carry. The F-16 can use a wide range of air-to-surface missiles, similar to the SDorm shades successfully used to destroy Russian infrastructure and logistical support centers in the rear. Another example is the AGM-88 HARM, a missile designed to detect and destroy air defense systems. In addition, it can also carry short-range infrared missiles and smart bombs of different sizes. All this in almost any situation.

“The F-16s we have are fourth-generation fighter jets capable of asserting air superiority or conducting offensive operations against fixed and mobile targets on the ground. Obviously, they are also highly capable aircraft when it comes to air combat,” he points out.

Complex but sensitive

This guarantee of local air superiority was precisely one of the problems pointed out by the Ukrainian military leadership for its inability to advance rapidly during the counteroffensive launched in early June. This reason makes the training of these pilots even more urgent.

For this purpose, an alliance of 11 countries has been formed, of which Portugal is a member, to help pilots capable of operating these aircraft. But not only. The team will also train mechanics capable of supporting the operations of these aircraft. Herein lies one of its weaknesses. On the one hand, if the F-16’s complexity can help, it can also be its main enemy.

Since the start of the invasion, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation has attempted to neutralize the Ukrainian Air Force, destroying airports and aircraft. But Ukraine managed to keep its planes in the air with highways and improved dirt tracks. That way, the resilient MiG-29 and Su-24 were able to continue operating in the most hostile environment. It is doubtful that the F-16 shares this capability.

“Can an F-16 land on an underprepared runway in an emergency, risking engine problems? He can. Continue to work? Can not. “The aircraft must operate in a clean, controlled airfield environment with rules to prevent engine damage from foreign matter,” the colonel assures.

From Tactics and Practices to “Technical English”.

It is not yet clear how long it will take to train Ukrainian pilots. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov declined to confirm dates but admitted the process would last no less than six months. The downtime in favor of Kiev was longer than desired, but preparing pilots, engineers and maintenance crews was a fundamental aspect of these aircraft’s success on the battlefield. Based on the training provided to FAP pilots, the Ukrainian military, who already have operational experience, will be qualified to learn how to fly the aircraft.

“Any pilot must first qualify the aircraft and learn to fly it. “In the first phase, they have to undergo theoretical training with simulators to learn the basics and fly in normal operations and emergency situations,” said Monteiro da Silva, who has more than 2,500 flight hours, including more than 1,600 hours in the F-16, air patrol missions in Lithuania, Iceland and attack missions in Afghanistan. Including.

In March, the U.S. Air Force interviewed two Ukrainian pilots over a 12-day period to understand the main difficulties these soldiers faced when beginning training with these aircraft. The report concluded that the two Ukrainian officers still need to integrate “certain technical skills,” including understanding the instruments in the F-16 cockpit and the ability to fly Western-standard systems.

For Colonel Montero da Silva, the fact that a pilot already has operational experience in other aircraft means that, from the start, the adaptation period of “tactical understanding” is short. A fighter pilot in training must understand specific F-16 “techniques, tactics, and procedures.”

First, pilots must take a four-month “Technical English” course. The colonel clarifies that this is a normal practice during the training of American-trained pilots. Technical English allows the pilot to master F-16 technical terms and communicate with the instructor. “This ensures that everyone is on an equal footing and can understand the manuals,” he adds.

Three Portuguese in Texas

In FAP, training takes place over several years and no one is selected for fighter training. The cadet’s journey is done at several levels – a combination of theoretical and practical content. In Portugal, the first two training phases were a combination of academic training and simulator experience, with several hours flying in a propeller-driven training aircraft, the Chipmunk MK20, followed by the Epsilon TB-30.

At the end of this process, a group of pilots is selected to proceed to the third phase. It is in this condition that the pilots fly the jet in training for the first time. According to Nuno Monteiro da Silva, here the pilots carry out tasks similar to those done in propeller aircraft, it is necessary to go to the fourth stage to learn the basics of air-to-air and air-to-ground warfare. The exercise takes place at Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas, USA. Currently, three Portuguese pilots are completing their training at the base.

“The course is basically about air-to-air, air-to-ground maneuvers and understanding how a pilot flies an aircraft in these two environments. From that moment on, training begins in what we call operational F-16 squadrons Initial Qualification Training (IQT)“, explains the former leader of Squadron 301.

Pilots start it after IQT Initial job qualification training. It is where pilots learn to perform more complex missions and qualify as “wingers”. This qualification allows the pilot to be eligible to be called up for combat or operational missions.