Ukraine @sopuli.xyz Wilshire @sopuli.xyz 3 mo. ago

F-16s being loaded onto a Ukrainian An-124 in Arizona, USA.

https://t.me/anonymous_ua/7217

https://t.me/vanguard_spacepro/14497

33 comments

It’s important to cover the eyes of birds when transporting them so they think it’s night and sleep through their journey.
- The hawks need to rest their eyesight before going straight for prey
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.
  
  Both aircraft types will almost certainly be running Jet A1, or whatever the military version of it is.
- The others here answered everything already, I just would like to use one analogy: 6 sports cars on a trailer.
- Same reason new cars aren't driven from the port to the dealership.
- The maximum range for the F16 in "ferry" mode (max fuel, no weapons, pee before takeoff) is something like 4000km. The distance from Belfast (Maine) to Belfast (the original) is 4500km.
  
  That would mean air to air refueling, which is expensive and risky. It would put major wear on the planes, which are not the newest to start with. And unlike the Antonov, the F16 comes with neither legroom nor bathrooms.
  
  pee before takeoff)
  
  Iirc the factor that limited early nuclear submarines the most from continuous dives was the toilets, they have limited storage for sewage and it turns out that draining those with a greater outside pressure is a pretty difficult task, at least if you want to stay undetected.
  
  Now that they have figured that out the limiting factor is food.
  
  the F16 comes with neither legroom nor bathrooms.
  
  But at maximum speed, it could in theory cover the 4500km in just over 2h (but probably with worse fuel economy and less range)
  
  Sourly 6 hours flight time is not significant wear.
- It's safer for long distances, plus they won't have to worry about refueling.
  
  That, and 6x the flight hours for a F16 is expensive. The flight hours with accompanied wear and tear are better used over Ukraine.
*Some assembly required. Batteries not included.
- I absolutely hope not. The emergency battery on the F16 is a hydrazine generator. Here's a A picture of two guys about to work on one.
  
  Holy shit badass
- Batteries not included.
  
  One of my absolute favorite 80s movies
Oh hell yeah, are we pulling some stuff out of AMARG? I didn’t realize we were doing that!! Thought it was just a handful of European countries donating airframes they were decommissioning.
- What is AMARG?
  
  and what implications does it have? Greater number if aircraft available?
  
  The boneyard: http://www.amarcexperience.com/ui/index.php
  
  Has tons of mothballed airframes that technically serve as a strategic reserve in the event that we suddenly need a few hundred more military aircraft for some reason.
  
  I had to look it up as well “The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG) is a one-of-a-kind specialized facility within the Air Force Materiel Command structure.“
  
  Dunno if it the only one or not
  
  https://www.dm.af.mil/About-DM/Units/Mission-Partners/309-AMARG/
Give Ukraine hundred more tanks and jets and throw in some navy ships too.
Singing america n ukraine fuck yeah!!!

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