Harrison Kass
The delivery of US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the Ukrainian military was arguably the most highly publicized import of the Russia-Ukraine war. A fourth-generation fighter jet, the F-16, enhanced Ukraine’s ability to defend its airspace and counter Russian aerial threats. The following is a breakdown of how Kyiv uses its donated F-16s.
How Ukraine Employs the F-16
F-16s excel at intercepting aerial threats. Tasked with intercepting incoming Russian cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones, the F-16 provides a more agile and responsive defense when compared to older Soviet-era aircraft that the Ukrainians had been using earlier in the war.
Ukraine also uses its F-16s for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), in much the same manner as the “Wild Weasel” squadron of the US Air Force. Equipped with High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), the Ukrainian F-16s can target and neutralize Russian radar systems, which reduces the effectiveness of Russian enemy surface-to-air missiles—thereby making the airspace safer to operate within.
The F-16s have also been used for air-to-ground precision strikes. Specifically, the Ukrainians have used the F-16 to target Russian troop positions and ammunition depots, leveraging advanced targeting systems to minimize collateral damage. The F-16 is used to engage in air-to-air combat to establish and maintain control of Ukraine’s airspace and to deter Russian aircraft from conducting operations over Ukrainian territory.
Adapting the F-16 for Ukrainian Use
For the Ukrainians to fully utilize their F-16s, several adaptations have been made. With respect to training and integration, Ukrainian pilots underwent an intensive training program in Europe and the United States. The training focused on transitioning from Soviet-era aircraft to Western systems and included both theoretical instruction and practical flight experience.
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