Russia - threadbanned users in OP

They would need the support of China or some other country with masses of equipment (Soviet type)

China, especially with a domestic property crash ongoing (sounds familiar eh), knows which side their bread is buttered on. They wouldn't be so stupid as to end up in a sanctions war with the collective West.

Essentially the platform was designed for multi role use. This means the plane can carry air to air and air to ground munitions in the same sortie and switch easily between ground attack and air to air mode mid flight. Russian planes up until very recently cannot do this. They are kitted out for a mission, bombing or air to air while on the ground and cannot "really" change mid flight.

In an ideal scenario these planes would be used as part of a combined arms type set up. Ground forces mark a target, planes blow it up (happens quickly) but in order to do that you need to take control of the sky, and given Russian SAM systems and the presence of Su-35/37's on the battle field it's unlikely they'll be able to fulfil this role. I would imagine American AWACs flying in Poland and Black Sea will however have a direct link to these planes which may make it possible to target things like the KA-52's which have been hampering the offensive significantly.

That's all just speculation though. Time will tell.

I would also be surprised, I'm sure they have had upgrades over the years, but with fighter planes, it's all about the most modern tech. They're the planes that win the battles.

The Dutch & Danish F-16s are Block 20s that have received significant upgrades as part of their mid-life update and are functionally more akin to F-16 C/Ds. They may not have the latest and greatest radar systems, but they can carry pretty much every modern western weapons system, both in the air-to-air and air-to-ground role.

Personally speaking, I think the biggest difference is going to be the massively increased situational awareness that the F-16 provides, both as a result of its design and as a result of the different operational philosophy. I've written about this before, but pretty much all soviet-era aircraft are designed around a strict command & control process where the pilots are effectively told to do one thing and one thing only, often under strict control from the ground. Things did change a little with the MiG-29, but even there, the pilot was still expected to generally follow the orders from ground control, and was given the sensors and systems to do one job, that is be vectored in to a target by ground control until the fighter would get weapons lock.

Compare that to the western approach, which gives pilots much more leeway. Granted, pilots will still be expected to do their job and follow their mission plan, but nowadays, there is an expectation that a pilot in a fighter will be aware of the greater situation around them and thus be able to deal with emergent threats on their own, if able to do so. Granted, the F-16A Block 20 MLU's radar isn't on par with the type of hyper-advanced system that you find on the F-15s or F-35s of this world, but it will still allow the aircraft to engage in BVR engagements far beyond the capabilities of everything that the UkrAF has at the moment. Between that, and the data link capabilities of even early model F-16s, Ukrainian pilots flying these aircraft will have a much better understanding of the battlefield than ever before.

There was many reports that training had started months ago from multiple sources. It could have been as you say, learning English and flight & fighter basics in a classroom.

Yeah saw the same reports.

I'd be amazed if behind the scenes training hasn't been going for months,supply chains being readied, ground crews receiving training, ammunition/missiles being made ready.

Even by their very presence on the battlefield these planes will act as a deterrent to russian attack helicopters.

It's all gradual escalation lads so not to cause Russia to do something incredibly stupid (again)

Slowly drip freed you may give Ukraine something, then might give Ukraine something, then you will give Ukraine something, you are giving something, Ukraine has something.

But all the while, you're training the lads up to use that particular something. Whether it's rockets, HIMARS, tanks, etc.

does anyone knows what happened with them decommissioned F18 that AU wanted to donate to UA but were awaiting for an approval from US?

people still think the ruSSia we know today is Soviet Union like. It is not. There is no ideology behind. ruSSia today is a basket full of rats, each each rat trying to kill the next rat in order to survive.

Sick people.

can't de-humanise something that never was a human in the first place.

Yes, but nothing about the 250'000 (est) Russians who will never need or wear shoes again, or the amputees who will live the rest of their lives in wheelchairs.

I don't (look at the electoral choices facing the US). But I think China chooses prosperity over ideology.

I don't think they are "wonder weapons" but why do you claim that they will be "quickly be shot down" by the Russians?

The Soviet aircraft they have now are not superior are they (?), and Russia still has not managed to shoot all these (or the supplements from supporters) down after over 1 year of war.

I would have expected Western aircraft they get will do a similar job, probably just better and of course they can be supported/supplied long term. Maybe some more risks can be taken going after the Russian air defence or Russian aircraft (but I doubt will be too much of that, because the pilot(s) are by far the most valuable element).