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Originally Posted by pip08456
They are slightly as in longer range radar and AA missiles. The F16 can detect and fire on Russian aircraft before being detected themselves.
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I’m not sure that’s the case.
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Another area where they are at a disadvantage to the latest Russian aircraft is air-to-air combat. Large Russian air superiority fighters such as the MiG-31 and Su-35 can see significantly farther with their powerful, modern radars. They also have R-37 missiles that have a much longer range than NATO-supplied AIM-120 AMRAAMs. In other words, Russian aircraft can potentially spot Ukrainian F-16s and shoot them down before the Ukrainian pilots see them coming. This is exactly what has been happening with Ukraine's current fleet of Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters, and the improved capabilities of the F-16 are not enough to tilt this disparity in Ukraine's favor.
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https://www.rand.org/blog/2023/05/wh...r-ukraine.html
Much will depend on what aircraft Russia can still put in the air and is happy to risk, or, perhaps, what their air crews are prepared to risk - they have been notably risk-averse for a lot of this conflict, since it’s become apparent that they can be taken out by MANPAD-type missiles, and now also by Patriots.