Battlefield conditions in Ukraine aren't 'ideal' for F-16 fighter jets, but Abrams tanks will 'certainly make a difference,' US general says

• Ukrainian forces are facing stiff and brutal Russian defenses in the east and south.
• Kyiv hopes to one day field F-16 fighter jets, and it is expecting to receive Abrams tanks soon.

Ukraine is already well armed with weapons from the US and its NATO allies, but Kyiv's military is still looking to boost its firepower with two high-profile American-made weapons: F-16 fighter jets and M1 Abrams tanks. However, only one, a US general argues, is ready to make an impact in the current conditions.

Now several weeks into its ongoing counteroffensive, Ukraine is still fighting without air superiority and battling Russia's tough ground defenses — which include elaborate networks of barbed wire, sprawling trenches, minefields, and anti-tank fortifications. Clearing these is a slow, painstaking, and deadly process for Kyiv's troops, who also have to contend with Russian forces, from infantry to formidable air defenses.

At the moment, the battlefield conditions aren't ideal for Ukrainian forces to field the advanced F-16s that they have long sought, but Abrams tanks will make an impact in combat when they arrive, likely later this year, a top US general said Thursday.

"The conditions on the environment certainly are changing over time. But the conditions right now for the employment of the F-16s — they're probably not ideal," Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims II, director of operations for the US military's Joint Staff, told reporters at a briefing.

The Biden administration finally agreed in May to support F-16 training for Ukraine by NATO members, caving to mounting pressure from both Kyiv and Washington's allies. No country, however, has decided publicly to send the aircraft to Ukraine, and details around the training program have been murky.

But Ukrainian officials said this week that a coalition of European countries will soon start training Kyiv's pilots to fly the jets, although a timeline of when exactly that will begin and when Ukraine might eventually deploy the aircraft is still unclear. But it's unlikely to happen for several months, if not longer.

Russia has shown it can outmatch Ukraine's air force because of disparities in several categories, including missile and radar performance, electronic equipment, technical capabilities, and overall force size. Even with F-16s, Ukraine would struggle in air-to-air combat against Russian fighters like the Su-35 and MiG-31, which enjoy more advanced radars, among other combat capabilities.

Moscow has also fielded advanced air-defense systems like the S-400 capable of targeting F-16s at great distances and high altitudes, potentially eliminating them before they are close enough to hit Russian positions with short-range weapons like the US-provided Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

"The Russians still possess some air-defense capability. They have air capability," Sims added. "And the number of F-16s that would be provided may not be perfect for what's going on right now. As the future changes, that certainly will dictate how that is employed."

Even though F-16s face some disadvantages, if armed with the right weapons — such as advanced longer-range air-to-air missiles, anti-radiation missiles, or stand-off air-to-surface missiles — they could support Kyiv's already-stretched air-defense network, target enemy radars, and even strike Russian positions far beyond the front lines.

While there are still questions about Ukraine's F-16s, Abrams tanks are definitely going to be delivered and are expected to have a significant effect on the battlefield, Sims said Thursday. The Pentagon announced earlier this year that it would procure new M1A2 Abrams tanks to send to Ukraine but later decided to send older M1A1 variants that are already available and could be delivered sooner.

Several hundred Ukrainian troops are now undergoing Abrams training in Germany, which is slated to finish by the end of the summer, just ahead of the anticipated fall delivery of the tanks.

When these powerful weapons do arrive in Ukraine, they will complement a massive inventory of heavy armor that Kyiv has received from Western countries in recent months, including advanced tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. Ukraine has made use of some of this heavy armor during its assaults in the eastern and southern regions, although it is yet to commit an overwhelming amount of firepower as its forces continue to probe for weak points in Russian lines.

"The Abrams will certainly make a difference on the battlefield. I mean, we know it's an extraordinary tank," Sims said. "The training ongoing right now will make [the Ukrainians], I would think, extraordinarily good at employing them."

"I can't tell you whether the offensive would still be going on by then or not," Sims added. "I just know that when the Abrams arrive, they'll be able to make a difference with Ukrainians."

The Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine are part of more than $41.3 billion in security assistance that the US has provided Kyiv since Russia attacked in February 2022. The latest US weapons package, announced last week, included, for the first time, deadly and controversial cluster munitions, which the US is providing to take the pressure off its dwindling stockpiles of 155mm artillery shells.