Ukraine is actively preparing the infrastructure for the deployment of F-16 fighters and a set of security measures for their storage. Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this during a telethon.
The representative of the Air Force says that Ukraine has developed a number of measures to safely deploy F-16 aircraft. At the same time, they will be able to effectively and efficiently perform combat missions. According to Yevlash, the arrival of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters will allow them to conduct various operations to repel air attacks and neutralize the positions of the Russian occupiers.
«To do this, it is necessary to properly prepare the place where they are based. This is a huge investment, we are talking about underground storage facilities, bunkers. Therefore, methods are now being developed on how exactly they can be placed,», — Yevlash explained.
The planes will be dispersed and located in places where they will be difficult to detect. The military is preparing a set of methods that will mislead Russian intelligence.
Last week, at a meeting of «Ramstein» US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin saidthat the F-16s will start arriving in Ukraine «this year», along with already trained pilots and maintenance personnel. Source The New York Times announced in March that the planes would arrive this summer. Unfortunately, pilot training has been delayed, so 12 trained pilots will be the first to return. As for the fighters, the first batch is likely to consist of 6 aircraft.
The main donors of F-16s for Ukraine will be Belgium, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. A total of about 45 aircraft are expected to arrive. Denmark is also training about 50 technicians who will service the F-16. The fighters are expected to be equipped with bombs and missiles of various ranges.