By Michael Sirak
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany–For several nations in Europe and the vicinity, the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets, whether new or used, is still an attractive interim option before ultimately transitioning to the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft, the top Air Force general in Europe said here last week.
“The nations that I am talking to are interested in getting a bridging aircraft that will get them technology-wise…a little bit more ready for flying an F-35,” Gen. William Hobbins, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), told a group of reporters during a face-to-face meeting Nov. 14.
Hobbins said the F-16, which, like the F-35, Lockheed Martin [LMT] builds, is a leading contender for this role for some of the newer NATO members as well as alliance aspirants and even nations on the rim of Europe.
“You don’t have to buy new F-16s,” he said. “There are some older F-16s that are available not only from the United States, but from other countries as well.”
However, Hobbins acknowledged that these countries also have before them a pool of other capable platforms from which to choose, such as the Gripen, Sukoi Su-30 and Eurofighter Typhoon.
“All of these are great fourth-generation fighters and they are all in this mix, too,” he said.
Choosing a platform like the F-16 as a bridging mechanism to the F-35 makes sense for several reasons, said Hobbins.
The F-35 likely would not be available to these countries before 2020, and many of them operate Soviet-era MIG fighters that will be in need of replacement before then, he said.
Further, before jumping to the F-35, there is the need for these countries to learn doctrinally how to operate fighter aircraft more autonomously, as opposed to the centralized control-centralized execution model applied with Soviet fighters during the Cold War. Aircraft such as the F-16 have the avionics to support more autonomous operations, Hobbins said.
He cited Poland as an example of a country that has already gone down the path of replacing Soviet-era fighters with F-16s and transitioning to more autonomous fighter operations.
Hobbins, who has led USAFE since December 2005, will be retiring soon. Nominated to replace him is Lt. Gen. Roger Brady who would receive a fourth star for the position. Brady is currently deputy chief of staff for personnel on the Air Staff.