"The West will be shocked by the downing of F-16s. Our fighters excel in almost all areas" Russian pilots say in an interview on Russian television.
The first F-16s are only a matter of time before they start appearing on Ukrainian airwaves.
Countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark have already agreed to provide dozens of such fighters to Kiev, and what remains to be determined is from which airfields they will operate (if bases inside or even outside Ukraine are used).
On the other side, the Russians, although they have warned about the escalation that their delivery will bring to Ukraine, have made it clear that the F-16s have no chance of changing the balance on the field.
In a report on Russian television, Russian pilots reveal that they have been preparing for a long time for a... meeting with Western-made fighters.
When the pilot of the Russian P.A. asked if he fears the imminent arrival of F-16s in Ukraine, he replied:
“It will appear and there will now be a new target. What's the difference; We are waiting for him to appear."
"Generally it has not changed. We know the strengths and weaknesses of the F-16," another Russian pilot tells the camera, adding:
"If we meet it in close combat, we will push it into conditions where we will have the upper hand and where it (including the F-16) will be nothing.
That is why we conduct all kinds of exercises and remember who and what we are fighting.
We realize that they will act cunningly and lay ambushes.
But our aircraft outperforms the F-16 in everything, both in terms of maneuverability and armament."
Watch the video of the interview
The Russian Air Force will line up hundreds of fighters that will shoot down the F-16s from a distance of 300 km without counting the involvement of the air defense S-300, S-400 etc.
Recently, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the discovery of unmanned vessels in one of the sea areas near the coast of Crimea.
Su-30SM fighters of the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy were immediately dispatched, which destroyed the USVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
the aircraft's return, that the fighter was carrying two R-37M and two R-77-1 air-to-air missiles.
This is the first public appearance of a Su-30 fighter specially modified to carry the R-37M missile.
Previously, only Su-35S and MiG-31BM fighters were carriers of these missiles.
This means that Russia has already taken steps in anticipation of the arrival of US F-16 fighters in Ukraine which may make a surprise landing with Ukrainian (or mercenary) pilots.
The R-77-1 medium-range air-to-air missile was adopted by the Russian Air Force and Air Defense in 1994. Initially, these missiles were intended for the then-newest MiG-29 fighter.
Subsequently, the R-77 and its modifications were received by many air force fighters, and then by the Russian Air Force. Its flight range is just over a hundred kilometers.
Much more interesting is the demonstration of the Soviet-Russian long-range air-to-air missile R-37M in a modified version.
It is the longest-range air-to-air guided missile in the world, capable of covering a distance of up to 300 kilometers.
The only western "opponents" of the R-37M are the American air-to-air missiles AIM-47 Falcon and AAM-N-10 Eagle. Their flight range is up to 200 km, but they have never entered service with the US Air Force.