Why F-18 Hornets will make Ukraine even more dangerous in aerial combat (2024)

Adding retired F/A-18 jets and their weapons systems to Ukraine's air force would make Kyiv's military an "even more dangerous" force, Newsweek has been told.

Washington is "favorably disposed" to sending more than 40 retired Australian air force F/A-18 Hornets to support Ukraine's war effort, The Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday. Canberra is currently upgrading its air force with U.S-made F-35s, but Washington would need to approve the transfer of the country's mothballed Legacy Hornet aircraft to Ukraine.

"There are still many hurdles to clear before the F/A-18s can be sent to Ukraine," an official familiar with talks between Kyiv, Canberra and Washington told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is understood that the Legacy Hornets, which first entered service in the early 1980s, are up for discussion, rather than the more advanced, post-Cold War Super Hornets.

Ukraine has long requested Western fighter jets from its international backers, and experts say the F-16 is the best choice of fourth-generation fighter for Ukraine's air force. But although several countries have joined an "international coalition" of fighter jets, no nation has yet promised to furnish Kyiv with these aircraft.

Ukraine is currently operating Soviet-era jets, including the MiG-29, and has requested 100 Western jets, mostly F-16s for its air force. But Kyiv's allies see the provision of Western fighter jets as a longer-term commitment to replenishing Ukraine's combat aircraft.

Experts have judged Ukraine's air force to have performed well throughout the war, with neither side able to establish air superiority. Russia has some formidable aircraft, including the Su-35, which was specifically designed to shoot down fighters such as the F-16.

Experts have argued that aircraft like the F-16 are unlikely to engage in dogfights with Russian jets, with much resting on their weapons systems.

The F-16 and the Legacy F/A-18 should both be a match for the jets in Russia's fleet when operated effectively, although Russia's Su-27 and the Su-35 "shouldn't be underestimated," according to David Jordan, the co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King's College London.

"Having the F-16 or the F/A-18A would make the Ukrainians even more dangerous opponents in air combat," Jordan told Newsweek.

The F/A-18A, although an aging aircraft, is a Western-made fourth-generation fighter that was well-maintained and kept up-to-date until its retirement by the Australian air force, Jordan said. Should Ukraine gain aircraft such as the F/A-18 and F-16, these jets "will considerably improve their ability to contest control of the air and may even prove a game changer for them," he added.

Pilot quality and tactics are hugely important, Jordan stressed, adding that only comparing aircraft like-for-like is "oversimplifying things."

How effective any new aircraft operated by Ukraine would be comes down to the pilot's skill, the tactics employed, the weapons supplied and the level of training, as well as situational awareness, former British Royal Air Force Senior Commander and Air Marshal Greg Bagwell said.

"It's never just aircraft versus aircraft," Bagwell told Newsweek. "I think Ukraine will have the edge on those things."

The weapons that could be on offer with F/A-18s are a key consideration, Bagwell said.

If Australia did give retired F/A-18s to Ukraine, this could mean Ukraine would use the AIM-132 advanced short-range air-to-air missile, Jordan said.

"This is an exceptionally good weapon and would increase the problems the Russians faced in air combat if provided," Jordan argued.

Experts previously told Newsweek that the decision to send F/A-18s, and how much of a boost they could give Ukraine, depends on how talks around F-16s progress. It may be more difficult for Ukraine to integrate both new systems into its air force, and the F/A-18s are a shorter-term solution, experts argue.

"We want F-16s. It is too difficult to maintain and supply multiple aircraft types," Yuriy Sak, a spokesman for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, told The Times of London.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he had "already received an understanding" from some of Ukraine's European allies on the subject of fighter jets.

"I am very happy with the information I received from some countries," Zelensky said in a readout published by his presidential office. However, it is not clear which countries the Ukrainian leader was referring to, and the specifics of the agreements concerning fighter jets.