F-16 is an okay air to air fighter, save the highly modified Israeli variant. There are better planes out there carrying better long range missile systems and, of course, more versatile fighter bombers that can do ground attack.

We simply don’t know why Russia didn’t use the bulk of its Air Force. We can speculate, of course, aplenty. If they had been used, sheer weight of numbers , the Ukrainians wouldn’t be flying- they are flying because they weren’t used.

And you would take highly valuable Ukrainian pilots out of the war theatre for months on end to teach them to fly new aircraft? They aren’t infantry, they are pilots and rare as hens teeth as it is.

As for escalation, I largely agree. Everything should be on the table- except nato flying missions itself. All targets within Russia are viable. I remember when my train station was blown up by a Chechen black widow. They certainly had no issue spreading the pain around, though obviously state and military should be the target. However, this might play into a rally around the flag and encourage full Russian mobilization. But I certainly think Ukraine needs to get the Kremlin’s attention, and the Russian public too for that matter.