-
A embellished former US Air Pressure pilot mentioned he would fly fighter jets for Ukraine if obligatory.
-
Retired Lt. Col. Dan “Two Canine” Hampton mentioned the potential of the US F-16 within the battle over Ukraine.
-
“I will even go myself, you may depend on me,” the retired lieutenant colonel instructed a VoA interview.
Dan Hampton, a retired lieutenant colonel often called the US Air Pressure’s “deadliest F-16 pilot,” mentioned he was able to fly planes for the Ukraine army himself if obligatory in an interview with Voices of America.
The extremely embellished pilot, often called “Two Canine,” spent 20 years within the Air Pressure, fought within the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, and Iraq wars, and is a New York Instances bestselling writer for his memoirs from his time within the army.
Talking from a base in Arizona, Hampton mentioned his ideas within the long-form interview on coaching F-16 pilots to battle within the Ukraine battle, the benefits of utilizing the jets, and whether or not the Ukraine authorities ought to rent non-public pilots because the battle continues into its second yr.
The F-16, a US single-seat fighter jet, is within the information after President Joe Biden just lately mentioned he wouldn’t provide the planes to Ukraine in the interim. Each Democratic and Republican Senators, nevertheless, have pushed the Pentagon to ship the jets that “might show to be a recreation changer on the battlefield,” per Politico.
Earlier this week, Poland grew to become the primary NATO nation to verify it could ship MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.
“Nobody has ever gained a battle from the air,” Hampton asserted, “You’ll be able to’t win a battle from the air, however you may lose a battle in case you do not management the airspace,” he instructed VoA, which the US authorities helps fund.
Hampton instructed the interviewer the Ukrainian authorities might rent non-public contractors who already know the way to fly F-16s, which “buys you time” and “helps you win the battle.”
“I will even go myself. You’ll be able to depend on me,” Hampton mentioned.
Retired Lt. Col. Hampton, 58, flew 151 sorties in his distinguished profession between 1986-2006. He’s probably the most embellished flyer for the reason that Vietnam Struggle, based on VoA, profitable the Purple Coronary heart, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses for extraordinary heroism, and eight ” Air Medals” of the US Air Pressure for valor throughout fight operations within the air.
The retired lieutenant colonel reiterated his dedication to the Ukrainian trigger after explaining he thought it could be quicker to ship pilots who know the way to fly relatively than “sending Ukrainian pilots to the US and sending them to a coaching program.”
Russia’s Su-35 fighter is “junk,” says the previous pilot
Two Ukrainian pilots have been just lately despatched to Arizona, based on NBC Information, for US authorities to find out how lengthy it could take to coach them to fly the jets, in addition to to enhance their expertise.
Calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “black and white” situation of “good versus evil,” Hampton mentioned he hoped that “governments that may present these companies ought to.”
“I’ll even go myself,” he repeated, “I might be primary. You’ll be able to depend on me.”
Hampton additionally in contrast F-16 planes – a multirole fighter that may assault air-to-ground and air-to-air – to the Russian Su-35 jets, saying the Russian mannequin getting used within the battle “appears to be like good at air reveals” however that they’re, in his opinion, “junk.”
In the meantime, a US Air Pressure official mentioned that fighter jets have been “nugatory” over Ukraine earlier this week as a result of each side of the battle have mastered long-range missile protection, Insider beforehand reported.
Learn the unique article on Enterprise Insider
