- August 28, 2024
- 12:56 pm
- Ukraine
F-16 fighter jets provided to Ukraine by Western allies have claimed their first air victories, three weeks after receiving the first aircraft, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. F-16s shoot down Russian cruise missiles during massive attack on Monday, August 26, 2024 .
Forbes analyst David Axe 27 August 2024 stresses that it was clear from the start that the Ukrainian Air Force would use F-16s for air defense. According to him, the F-16s have been seen with AIM-9 infrared-guided air-to-air missiles and AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles, but not with air-to-ground munitions. Although these aircraft are compatible with Western anti-radar missiles and GPS-guided bombs, their primary mission is air defense patrols.
Forbes explains that Ukraine is under constant air attack, and its armed forces are forced to use all available weapons to repel the daily raids.
The Forbes author points out that while these missiles are not the most modern, they remain reliable and widely available in the arsenals of Ukraine's allies. The Ukrainian Air Force will have no trouble keeping its F-16s combat-ready even as new aircraft arrive.
The article also notes that the F-16s' missions will expand. The first sorties of these fighters were aimed at Russian cruise missiles, which cannot be fired back. However, as the number of F-16s increases and their missions expand, they may begin to deal with more complex targets, including Russian fighters and air defense batteries.
Forbes recalls that on August 4, 2024, on the Day of the Ukrainian Air Force, the first F-16s transferred by Western partners were shown. At that time, President Zelensky did not disclose the specific tasks of these aircraft. The Ukrainian Air Force noted that the F-16s will be used primarily to strengthen air defense, especially in the fight against small targets.
The Forbes author also reports that American specialists have modernized Ukrainian F-16s so that they can more effectively counter Russian air defense systems.
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