Ukraine's air force requests diverse fleet to counter Russian threat
Although Ukrainians will soon receive the first F-16s, their air force needs additional support to replace the current fleet of aging Soviet-era machines completely. According to the Union agency, Ukrainian armed forces spokesman Ilya Yevlash revealed the exact number of aircraft needed.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calculated that Ukraine needs 120-130 F-16 fighters to completely dominate the Russian Federation's army in the air. As Yevlash now explains, the rearmament of the Air Force involves more than just multi-role aircraft. Different types of machines are needed for various tasks.
"At least 150 different types of aircraft are needed," calculates the spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces. "This includes transport aircraft, aircraft patrolling Ukrainian skies, those destroying small targets, and using them as an air defence system that could deter Russian aviation," he explained. He also added that Ukraine plans to rearm the entire air fleet completely, but it is not known when this will happen. It largely depends on Ukraine's international partners.
Ukraine wants more aircraft
Yevlash does not explicitly mention which types of aircraft Ukraine currently needs. He reveals that almost all new machines are necessary – attack, multi-role, and transport aircraft. It is known that for now, the Ukrainians primarily have Soviet-era machines in their arsenal, the most numerous of which are MiG-29s (including units provided by Poland), which can reach speeds of 2.3 Mach (around 2,415 km/h or 1,500 mph) and can carry weapons with a total weight of up to 5,440 kg (12,000 pounds) on nine hardpoints.
The defenders' army also has Su-25 attack aircraft, which serve as machines supporting mechanized forces and infantry on the ground. These aircraft have much weaker performance than larger fighters. The Su-25's 10 underwing hardpoints can carry up to 4,309 kg (9,500 pounds) of armament, while its maximum speed is 950 km/h (590 mph).
The Ukrainian army's transport aircraft primarily consist of Antonovs (An-24, An-70, An-178, and the most numerous An-26) and a dozen or so Ilyushin Il-76s.
The most popular among them, the An-26 above, is a 1960s design powered by two turboprop engines and an auxiliary jet engine. The An-26 has space for 30 paratroopers or 24 stretchers, while the cargo space can accommodate a load weighing up to 5,440 kg (12,000 pounds). The aircraft can reach speeds of only 540 km/h (336 mph) and can operate at an altitude of 7,620 meters (25,000 feet) with a range of just over 1,000 km (620 miles).
