The first American F-16 fighter jets have already arrived in Ukraine, which has become an important event for the Ukrainian military and defense forces. These aircraft are among the most modern in the world and promise to significantly strengthen the air defense of Ukraine. Military experts shared their expectations about how these fighters will be used in the near future.
Application for air defense
Oleksandr Musienko, a military expert, noted in Telegram that at the first stage, the F-16s will probably not be actively involved in combat operations at the front. Instead, these aircraft will be focused on strengthening air defense, in particular, over the western and central parts of Ukraine. Musienko emphasized that the F-16s are capable of effectively destroying potential enemy targets in the air, which is critical for the protection of important strategic facilities and infrastructure.
Future use: strikes against ground targets
In the second phase, Musienko said, F-16 fighter jets could be deployed to strike ground targets using guided air bombs such as JDAMs. This will expand the capabilities of the Armed Forces in the fight against enemy ground targets, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of attacks.
Peculiarities of using old rockets
Aviation expert Valery Romanenko, a leading researcher at the State Aviation Museum, said in an interview with Radio NV that American fighters will operate in specially designated areas where they will not be threatened by anti-aircraft missile systems. Romanenko explained that the "own-foreign" identification system can fail, which could potentially lead to accidental damage to one's own aircraft.
According to Romanenko, F-16s will be able to effectively destroy Russian cruise missiles using old AIM-9M missiles. He pointed out that although the newer AIM-9X missiles are more modern, their high cost (up to $900,000) compared to the AIM-9M (about $300,000) makes the older missiles more cost-effective to use. In addition, Romanenko noted that the F-16 will also be able to effectively shoot down drones thanks to its accurate radar and the ability to use small-caliber projectiles.
