{"id":63606,"date":"2022-03-16T18:51:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T18:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/16\/not-brain-science-heres-how-the-ukraine-fighter-swap-could-work\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:43:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:43:08","slug":"not-brain-science-heres-how-the-ukraine-fighter-swap-could-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2022\/03\/16\/not-brain-science-heres-how-the-ukraine-fighter-swap-could-work\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Not brain science:\u2019 Here\u2019s how the Ukraine fighter swap could work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 While the politics surrounding the transfer of Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine are complicated<\/a>, experts say the technical and logistical difficulties involved should not stand in the way of a deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s been two weeks of debate over whether Poland should or will transfer its Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in exchange for a backfill of U.S. aircraft. A potential deal was upended after it went public, prompting Poland to announce it would offer the aircraft for the U.S. to shepherd into Ukraine. But the Biden administration ruled out<\/a> such a move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid a chorus of mostly Republican lawmakers pressuring U.S. President Joe Biden<\/a> to facilitate the aircraft transfers, Biden on Wednesday announced another $800 million in military aid, including new drones and advanced anti-aircraft missiles. The administration had previously committed more than $1 billion in aid and is aiming to deter Russia by sending thousands of U.S. troops to bolster NATO allies in Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon officials have been emphasizing the usefulness of previously supplied Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. They argue that with Russian anti-aircraft systems blanketing Ukraine\u2019s skies, MiG-29s wouldn\u2019t make Ukraine\u2019s forces more effective. Moreover, Russia could view their transfer into Ukraine as escalatory, prompting it to retaliate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe MiG wouldn\u2019t survive for a minute in Ukrainian airspace given what the Russians have, the surface-to-air missiles they have, given the quality of their fighter jets,\u201d House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., told reporters after Biden\u2019s announcement. \u201cIts ability to be effective is negligible, if at all. I think the focus on MiGs misses the point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But John Venable, a former Air Force fighter pilot now with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the deal is doable and might have gone through if it hadn\u2019t been made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not brain science. The hurdles that the administration is saying right now \u2026 are way overstated,\u201d Venable said. \u201cWe should move absolutely to transfer these jets right away, and if people are afraid of flying them, we should put these MiG-29s on trucks and drive them across the border.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With MiG-29s already in Ukraine\u2019s arsenal, the learning curve for the Ukrainians shouldn\u2019t be very steep, Venable said, noting they\u2019d likely only need a few hours of instruction to bring them up to speed on the Polish MiGs\u2019 systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\t