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US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

ukrainetoday.org

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Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#921

Post by [deleted] »

guerrilla wrote: post #820
Animats wrote: post #801

Sweden will reportedly be supplying Ukraine with Saab-built Gripen fighters.[1][2] Maybe. Apparently Sweden has been holding off on transfer of 14 Gripens while Ukraine was learning to use and service F-16s. The Gripen has advantages for Ukraine. It's a more rugged aircraft, with lower maintenance demands and lower operating cost. It can operate from very basic airstrips and roads. Saab boasts about this.[3] Their pi…

Fascinating. What's with the US approach then? In general, it seems like lean forces tend to win. Afghanistan (twice) and Vietnam, for example. The Houthis as another example.

[deleted]

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#922

Post by ajuc »

quelup wrote: post #829

The comments in this thread freak me out. Either the world's media has brainwashed the population into believing America is failing and the 'right' is evil/dumb, or I'm totally delussioned (as an American) for seeing mostly good in what the current administration is doing. Both are terrifying.

"The right" isn't one thing.

MAGA is a particular brand of "the right" that is pretty clearly evil/dumb.

Ultimately USA is just 350 million people. Without its allies it's just another country. You can't bully half the world into "better deals" forever. Some countries might agree short-term out of desperation, but long term they'll throw you under the bus.

Consider how you would behave if your business partner changed the price +25% -25% every few days, threatened to cut you off if you don't do what he wants and insulted you randomly. You'd search for a reliable competition.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#923

Post by riffraff »

graeme wrote: post #858
toomuchtodo wrote: post #854

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there any other compatible engines for the platform?

None at present to my knowledge. The French Rafale is the only western jet fighter without any US components.

isn't the Eurofighter Typhoon also "US-free"? I kinda thought that was the point of it.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#924

Post by wqaatwt »

louthy wrote: post #863
nosianu wrote: post #763

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just read here a few days ago how very dependent on regular US maintenance the British nuclear weapons are. "US support to maintain UK's nuclear arsenal is in doubt (theguardian.com)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43299011

The Economist gives a more nuanced view [1]. Essentially saying the deterrent is independent and if support was pulled by the US that there wouldn’t be a ‘cliff edge’, which would potentially give time to replace. The UK has produced its own nuclear weapons in the past and has weapons grade processing at Sellafield. There’s ~140 metric tons of separated plutonium stored there. It is apparently enough material to buil…

Trident is made by Lockheed Martin, though. Or does the UK have the capacity to perform maintenance and manufacture make spare parts on their own?

I guess there would be enough time to switch to French rockets even in the worst case.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#926

Post by pydry »

bigyabai wrote: post #598
pydry wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Soviet arms industry experienced a similar boom in the 1980s due to an eye wateringly expensive arms race with America. Spoiler alert: it did not end well for them. Putin is setting another trap.

I think you misunderstand why exactly the USSR's weapon production hurt them. There were a number of circumstances that were specific to the Soviets that made their decisions uniquely self-destructive: 1. They already had an enormous weapon stockpile from the 60s and 70s that was becoming rapidly outdated, and was manufactured with few basically no limit on the unit count being made, resulting in tens-of-thousands of…

>economy bending to support an oversized MIC.

European defense stocks didnt skyrocket out of nowhere.

>Soviet Russia had a struggling economy in the 60s and 70s,

Europe is struggling now.

>The Soviet-Afghanistan war weakened the USSR's traditional force composition

Feeding weapons to Ukraine has severely depleted European stockpiles.

>Europe already avoided over-arming themselves like the USSR

Theyre literally preparing to do just that.

>they have a modernized economy

Im not sure Id feel comfortable rejecting an argument based upon the notion that the country that put the first man in space was a country of backward savages.

>and they aren't fighting proxy wars against forces they can't beat.

Ukraine is quite literally that.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#927

Post by genewitch »

epistasis wrote: post #230
RandyOrion wrote: post #161

When totalitarian governments all start applauding what you're doing, using what you're doing as a distraction from a bad domestic situation as well as a justification for their dictatorships, you should know that something is totally screwed up. Yes, I'm talking about the totalitarian governments of China and Russia.

To be fair to China, even they are "appalled" by what Trump is doing to cause chaos with Europe and to abandon Ukraine by holding talks about Ukraine without Ukraine: https://news.liga.net/en/politics/news/china-appalled-by-tru...

Ukraine was invited. Stop lying.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#928

Post by bdelmas »

lucasyvas wrote: post #315

I find some of the comments I’ve read today in this thread somewhat enlightening - there is intelligent conversation about the capabilities of the American hardware and its software. The sophistication of the F-35 cannot be debated. But the rest of the world doesn’t trust the US anymore, so it doesn’t matter how good it is - people would gladly explore a worse product because they see it as lower risk. That’s the rea…

Just 2 points missing.

1. The sale of planes like the F-35 is not just about the plane. It’s about the ability to be a nation with nuclear power by “renting” the US nuclear missile it can launch. People bought it mainly for that. The pilot and YouTuber ATE Chuet did a video talking about this if you want to dive into it.

2. The plane in itself is not as capable as say the Rafale. They tried to do way too many things with it. The vertical takeoff capability in particular made the plane worst in every other aspect and its own design is very questionable. A Dassault engineer talks about it in this video [1]

[1] https://youtu.be/AVUn0e9Ic2o?si=1mTiFpZLCvRRlrIU

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#929

Post by TiredOfLife »

Etheryte wrote: post #516
nxm wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sigh… a few jets can’t compare to level of aid American tax payer has given the past few years. More than OK with France finally doing something.

Europe has given more aid to Ukraine in total numbers than America if I'm not mistaken? So I'm not really sure if I see what you mean.

And part of European aid has gone directly to US economy to buy stuff for Ukraine.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#930

Post by eitland »

mylidlpony wrote: post #249
whoitwas wrote: post #92

[flagged]

There is a simple answer: HN is getting targeted by state-level actors and moderation team is asleep at the wheel, utterly unprepared to act against such a sophisticated threat. Perhaps someone should email dang, that ought to solve it!

Somebody did email Daniel and it was back shortly after.

Also, to be fair, Daniel is human and have to sleep sometimes. (I don't know if he is alone but haven't noticed any other active mods for years.)

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