this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2024
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Ukraine
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I'm delighted we're sending these over to Ukraine (though it should have been done a long time ago).
Question: the F-16s are planes. Is there some reason we're loading them onto other planes for transport instead of flying them over?
Ease of transfer (one pilot vs multiple for a looooong flight, probably no refuel on the Antonow, and if so it eats less specialised stuff than the F-16s) and maybe even fuel efficiency, I would guess.
Also, one cargo plane raises less eye brows than a flock of fighters.
AN-124’s are extremely inefficient - it’s probably stopping 2-3 times on route, but still easier to arrange than flying each plane.
Think they'd go west over the pacific or back across the US?
Back across the US - Portland Maine is a popular tech stop for the AN124’s and then probably someplace in the UK