After a long wait, F-16 fighter jets have finally appeared in the skies of Ukraine. On August 4th, which marked the Ukrainian Air Force Day, President Zelensky officially announced the arrival of the F-16 fighter jets at an airbase near Kyiv during the day’s celebratory event. Multiple F-16 jets were showcased at the event, with two of them roaring through the sky.
While the Ukrainian Air Force is now capable of operating F-16 fighter jets, the initial batch remains limited in quantity. It is unlikely that these F-16 jets will be deployed close to the frontlines, with their primary purpose expected to be enhancing air defense by intercepting subsonic cruise missiles and suicide drones launched by Russian forces.
According to an article published in The Economist, the Ukrainian Air Force has received a total of 10 F-16 fighter jets. The exact breakdown between single-seat and two-seat variants is currently unclear, but this quantity surpasses the earlier reported number of 6 jets. It is anticipated that an additional 10 F-16 jets will be delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force by the end of this year.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began at the end of February 2022, President Zelensky has been pleading for the United States and NATO allies to provide F-16 fighter jets. A year ago, the Biden administration finally agreed to allow European allies to support Ukraine with F-16s. Western countries have pledged to provide Ukraine with a total of 85 F-16 fighter jets, including 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark, 12 from Norway, and 30 from Belgium. Norway will also provide an additional 10 jets for spare parts, enabling the Ukrainian Air Force to potentially form three to four F-16 squadrons.
The F-16s received by the Ukrainian Air Force are equipped to carry advanced stand-off attack munitions. Ukraine has already received a variety of these munitions, including AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, JDAM-ER guided bombs, GBU-39/B small diameter bombs, and ADM-160 miniature air-launched decoys. Integration of these weapons with the F-16 poses no challenges. Integration with European armaments, such as France’s Hammer bomb and the Storm Shadow cruise missile provided by the UK and France, is also feasible.
In addition, the Ukrainian F-16s are armed with AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, with potential future integration of AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles. American-made air-to-ground attack weapons, including GPS-guided bombs and laser-guided JDAM bombs, are likely to be part of their arsenal. Probable air-to-ground missiles may include AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER).
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