Ukraine has received its first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the number of jets delivered is small but marks an important step for Ukraine’s military strategy.
The transfer was scheduled for the end of July and was completed as planned.
This delivery follows the formation of the “fighter jet coalition” at the Vilnius NATO summit a year ago, led by Denmark and the Netherlands. Over the coming years, Ukraine is expected to receive at least 79 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway.
Additionally, the coalition has pledged to assist in training Ukrainian pilots and technical staff to operate the jets effectively.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, an American air superiority fighter, has been a key request from Kyiv since the onset of the full-scale invasion. The deployment of these jets is anticipated to enhance Ukraine’s air defence capabilities.
F-16 Fighter Jets are now in Ukraine 🇺🇦 reports Bloomberg pic.twitter.com/7VNXEqsm3S
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) July 31, 2024
In addition to the jets, the US has agreed to arm Ukraine’s F-16s with advanced weapons. A senior US official stated that the warplanes would feature the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which has an effective range of over 20 miles (32 kilometres).
Ukrainian F-16s will also receive Raytheon’s AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for short-range air-to-air engagements. These missiles are equipped with infrared homing guidance for precision strikes in electronically-challenged environments.
The delivery of the F-16s comes amidst logistical challenges and delays, highlighting international efforts to support Ukraine and enhance its defence against Russian advances.
F-16 Training Coalition
The F-16 training coalition was formed on 11 July 2023 during the Vilnius Summit. The coalition’s purpose is to train F-16 pilots, technicians, and support personnel for the Ukrainian Air Force. Originally consisting of 11 nations, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the coalition has since expanded to include Greece, the United States, and France.
A training hub is being set up in Romania, funded by coalition members. Romania will provide the infrastructure, the Netherlands will supply the F-16s for training, and Lockheed Martin will provide the instructors. The training centre will first focus on Romanian pilots and then expand to include Ukrainian and other allied pilots.
“senior US official stated that the warplanes would feature the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which has an effective range of over 20 miles (32 kilometres).”
huh! AIM 120 has much longer range than 20 miles, it’s more like 60 to 100 miles depending on version
20 miles range is for the AIM 9 Sidewinder
The media targets quantity over quality.
Good spot. In any event the F-16s and AIM-120 will help Ukraine defence against the Russian guide bombs which by all accounts have a range of up to 40 miles.
no doubt. great news that deliveries have started.
I wouldn’t waste shots on the bombs – focus on the delivery platforms.
I appreciate they want to protect their troops and homeland but highest value targets first.
Russia can’t make more planes on useful numbers and training pilots is a slow business.
Agreed. At the moment I think Ukraine’s only defence against glide bombs is scarce Patriot, against the launch platform.
As you say, start city by city, power plant by power plant. Baby steps. Interception by F-16 needs a whole air defence system.
My point was more just using F16 to take out RuAF platforms.
That is the most effective way to deal with glide bombs.
If they can’t launch them…..
Yes. Understood.
I may be wrong but I took it that was what he was saying I can’t imagine it could intercept many if any of the bombs themselves. The Russians would soon be taking them out if they concentrated on that far better to concentrate on the launch platforms and any accompanying defensive fighters to keep them at risk or too busy to target themselves. Hopefully much of the training has been how best F-16s can handle that equation. What they could do with Gripens and Meteors but that is perhaps pie in the sky with the latter.
Probably not, the F16 would have to be in the air, in just the right area and able to pick out the target on radar.
If that was the case, the lauch platform would be the target….
Think that role will be crucial the Russians stalled badly when their carrier aircraft were being targeted by sneaked up ground defences but that trick only lasted so long sadly.
Which happens to be over 20 miles. Technically the statement is correct.
It took 11 days for my comment to be approved. I’ll not revisit nor comment on this site again.
Hmmm…the grand experiment of the UKR employing F-16s will soon commence. Hope the result is at least partially successful. 🤞 Still believe UKR should additionally acquire some A -10s. 🤔
Sometimes I wish the Army Air Corp could get a few sqns of A-10s but I agree UKR could find good use for them.
Literally had never considered British Army usage before your comment. 🤔😳 Am absolutely certain RAF would summarily reject the concept as antiquated, parts non-availability, too vulnerable, not sufficiently high tech, yada, yada yada 🙄 Whereas, both the British Army and even the RM (even w/out a current air component), may well wish that someone would hold their beer and hand them a fearsome club.
No senior commander believes the Ukrainians could effectively utilize F-16s and A-10s as an effective combination. Absolutely convinced Orc infantry and armoured units would quickly learn to fear the A-10’s capabilities. Guaranteed.
Does the A10C have the EW defences required to defeat S-300 and MANPADs that would be used as RF Air Defences?
Presumably F-16 SEAD missions with HARM could deal with S-300 but MANPADs remain an elusive target so A10 still requires EW defence against them..
The videos of RF armoured vehicle advances would seem like a target rich environment for the Cannon rRRRRRRTT as originally designed. Drone cope cages having no use.
I Agree about the Warthog, they would be a good asset to the UKR, good for busting up just about any ground offensives the russians use, plus they are very hardy, just put the right pilot in the seat and you have a superior support unit for ground forces.
The A-10 has proved its self in lots of theatres of combat over the years..would be an excellent choice and no doubt welcomed👍
They are probably referencing typical combat engagement ranges, instead of maximum ranges, based on a large target and a high speed, high altitude shot in perfect conditions. I would think 20 miles would be typical of a fight in a non permissive combat scenario, with both sides aware of each other, maneuvering hard, jamming and each trying to get a shot first. 20 miles represents AMRAAM’s no escape zone against another maneuvering fighter. Again, Aim 9X will likely be employed just outside visual range, typically 5/ 6 miles. I’m surprised they are getting 9X, I would assume 120C missiles…. I… Read more »
Hope you are right, on paper the F-16 is at a pretty big disadvantage without an AWACs helping with targeting beyond its own limited radar so the quality or not of Russian pilots and the ta tical quality of the Ukrainians may well be an important factor and how each side adjusts.
Hasn’t Sweden offered 2 awac’s, not sure when they will be available, but hopefully soon.
Thanks for straightening that out, I thought that couldn’t be true considering ASRAAM is a 15m missile while Meteor is well over 100 miles. Equally if it were only 20miles Ukraine would struggle to keep F-16s survivable in the environment it will be operating other than deep lying anti drone or cruise missile defence.
Well, technically, 60+ miles is greater than 20 milles. 😁
I would imagine that there will be plan to keep a steady supply of the F16s going to Ukraine …to ensure they can maintain them at a squadron level without risking all the airframe on the ground in Ukraine.
Plenty to donate Jonathan. The US Air National Guard is sending earlier F16C’s to the bone yard as they give way to later F16 variants, as in turn, F35A deliveries continue to the US Airforce.
The Americans are capable of keeping the Ukraineans supplied with block 30 F16C’s for years to come.
My worry is that UKR has at the moment only a few of these aircraft. Until the UKR-AF can keep them safe and have numbers to put up they are more of a target rather than an asset.
The evidence from UAF sites is that they don’t have HAS, following the Soviet model of leaving strategic assets parked on the tarmac. So cluster munitions are fully able to shrapnel the parked aircraft and make them unserviceable.
Time for mass prefabricated HAS production and installation on all sites so that the precise location of F-16 is impossible to tell from air surveillance. Cardboard decoys, too.
Again note, US supplying munitions meaning they can control their use thus again control from Washington, not the people useing them so being able to blackmail Ukrain to cool it if Putin threatens escalation.
There was a leaked video of a f16 flying over ukraine yesterday.
How long has Europe got to fund this war
Let’s hope they have good coordination with their own Air Defense units.
Be like the rest of western equipment scrapped in minutes .
Only way this conflict will end is at the negotiation table
It will be interesting to see if these make much if any difference. There was big hopes for the western tanks, but ultimately they proved to be inappropriate for the type of war, and rarely used. On the flip side the artillery provided has been pivotal in Ukraine destroying Russian arms and fuel deposits.
I guess we will find out shortly now that they have started to arrive, although it seems likely only a couple have been handed over so far as numbers are being kept hush hush, unlike the other donations.
I would not have those F16’s in any country that used to be an ex soviet state. Putin may well take the risk that ex soviets are easy to by pass and attack the air bases. Loosing a hell of a lot of Nato / US hardware