>sent jets
>no pilots
>recruit pilots
>old retired F-16 pilots don't sign up (hypothetically)
>recruits an autist with 1000+ hours in DCS F-16 instead
Wonder how that's going to work out.
If they are getting supplied with AIM-120Bs, they shouldn't send the F-16s at all. AIM-9X does not help either
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/08...-air-missiles-for-ukraines-new-f-16-fighters/
The Aim-120B is like rated at 20+ miles.
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/The-Book/Enlisted-Ranks/igphoto/2000424178/ or other sources suggest 50kms, The Aim-9X range is lower and in 2017 I heard the missile couldn't hit a Syrian Su-22 that they just switched to targeting the aircraft with AMRAAMs missile instead so I am assuming the issue is resolved? I heard over 5000 of these missiles were produced so I guess it would make sense to stockpile the Ukrainians with them.
Using these aircrafts in Ukraine to combat Russian aircraft would be the equivalent of sending a conscript with a pistol in the open field to shoot a sniper rifleman or a drone operator.
Hard to compare air to air missile technology, but I think I found a perfect example.
RVV-MD2
AIM-9X Block 2.
AIM-9X Block 3
Summary
R-73 30kms, R-37M 40kms, RVV-MD2 50kms, AIM-9X ball parked at 20 miles, and Block 3 if it wasn't cancelled would have a 60% increase range which would put it at 32 miles or 51.5 kilometers. But the RVV-MD designations are for export and considering that was a brochure from an export their domestic version K-74M2 might have better sensors and maybe range than the RVV-MD2. The biggest ooohhh and ahhhhh was that these missiles have 360 degree target engagement meaning if an enemy aircraft was flying behind an F-35 or Su-57 that if both aircraft see that enemy aircraft from behind the missile would get fired and do a 180 degree spin to go hit the enemy aircraft. The Block 2 was capable of doing this and production for that hit in 2015, the Russians only attained this sensor ability in 2023 was when the production for the RVV-MD2 and K-74M2 began. However the K-74M2 is more than worthy because of its range with better sensor capabilities that basically put as a Block 3 AIM-9X because of its range and the block 3 got cancelled for the US. Recent sales of block 2 AIM-9X were sold to Japan and South Korea which suggests the US has better variations of F-16s and block 2s to offer to Ukraine but I guess that wont happen while it is very possible that the K-74M2 alone out ranges the AIM-120B and definitely the AIM-9X.
R-37 would be overkill, K-37M would be overkill, R-77 and R-77-1 would be overkill, K-77M with 193km range and the ramjet version which would have a longer range that got test fired awhile back with the Su-57 in October 2020 would be overkill.
https://lenta.ru/news/2023/08/30/su57/?ysclid=lua6b6swlp738132269 The citing of a 110km range used for Su-57 suggests R-77-1 110km range and since 300km missiles like the R-37 existed in the 1990s where the mig-31 scored a near 300km kill shot against an aerial target suggests it could be the R-77 ramjet version which would be considered overkill. Any number of mig-31s, su-27s, su-30s, su-35s, su-57s(20 something aircraft) would be overkill using these missiles.
Russians have loved boasting about their R-37 fucking up Ukrainian aircraft on online Russian news sources and with recent news of F-18s being used to fire SM-6 missiles suggest the US might not have a solution for Ukraine to deal with these missiles yet in aerial engagement. US has decent amount of air to air missile projects but not even supplying Ukraine with AIM-120C/Ds suggest they are dong it just for a goodwill gesture for the public despite most of the public not knowing how shit the B version is.