Under siege and short on interceptor missiles, Ukraine is using American-made F-16 fighter jets as a first line of defense against Russia’s jet-powered drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the F-16 “one of the most effective tools” for shooting down these low-cost threats, which Russia builds for as little as $70,000 each. However, constant patrol missions are straining Ukraine’s small fleet of about 50 F-16s, with roughly half grounded for maintenance in Europe.
Kyiv awaits additional jets promised by Belgium over three years ago, while pilot training remains limited to only a few dozen at a time. Experts warn that using high-value fighters to counter cheap drones is unsustainable, consuming a finite resource faster than it can be replenished. Despite this, F-16s have shot down up to 90% of incoming cruise missiles in some attacks and a significant portion of the 1,900 jet drones intercepted last month out of 3,500 launched by Russia.
One pilot reportedly downed 10 jet drones in a single flight. As of late September, F-16s had intercepted 666 cruise missiles and about 2,500 various drones. In July, an F-16 even shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet.
Five F-16s have been damaged or destroyed in combat, including one shot down that killed Lt. Col. Oleksiy Mes.
Ukraine continues to develop alternative interceptors but remains reliant on the F-16 fleet, which officials call “critical” yet “definitely insufficient.”.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing