MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Reports about the downing of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet by Russian air defenses show that the aircraft's reputation belies itself, Major-General Vladimir Popov, who sits on the expert council of the Oficery Rossii (Russian Officers) all-Russian public organization, told TASS.
On April 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defenses downed a Ukrainian F-16. Earlier, Ukraine’s defense chief Rustem Umerov called F-16 deliveries to Kiev "a long-awaited reinforcement" for Ukrainian troops.
"The loss will undermine the reputation of these aircraft. It has perhaps undermined it already, albeit not on a wide scale <…>. For Western propaganda works anyway," said Popov, an honored military pilot. "They (Westerners - TASS) use various pretexts saying that either this aircraft was not involved, or that it’s Russia spreading fake news. But this (downing of a fighter jet by Russian air defenses - TASS) clearly gives negative publicity to such a flagship four-generation fighter as the F-16," he argued.
The general argued that Ukrainian pilots have trouble with the multirole fighter jet because, among other things, they are not accustomed to the layout of the cockpit. Post-Soviet pilots are used to controls being on the left side, while the F-16 has its controls positioned in the front right sector of the cockpit, he explained.
"One can get used to this, and it is possible to adjust oneself, too, but it takes a time period longer than three to five months to do so," Popov added, estimating the normal time for a pilot to master the aircraft at 18 to 24 months.