One could have the most sophisticated platform in the world (which the F-16 certainly is not), but if the avionics are not up to date, the plane is a sitting duck to a fighter with modern radars and missile guidance systems.
The SU-35 is a vastly superior air to air platform. It has superior avionics. Why do you think all the NATO countries are scrambling to upgrade to F-35s?
The Russian pilots are experienced with years of training and combat experience in Syria and Ukraine. On multiple occasions, Israeli F-16s had to withdraw from ground attack missions in Syria after being intercepted by SU-35s. The Russians never fired at them, but it was evident that had the Israeli pilots not turned around, they'd have been shot down. They detected radar locks while still out of range of thier own attack systems.
The Israeli F-16s are more advanced than anything the Ukes will get. The Uke pilots will be fresh out of (abbreviated) flight school.
In air to air combat last year, one Russian fighter was lost to ground-based defenses (fake "Ghost of Kyiv" stories notwithstanding). At least seven Uke fighters (MiG 29s and SU-27s) were shot down by Russian pilots in SU-35s. Were Ukarine to try to achieve air superiority using 40 year-old F-16s with green pilots, it would be a repeat of the Marianas Turkey Shoot.
But it's all academic. Ukraine will be in possession of exactly zero operable F-16s by the time hostilities cease, which I believe will be early next year.
As with all this banter on this thread time will tell. The only way the conflict is over early next year is if Russia crys uncle. Putin has already had one coup. When will the next one start?
