F-16s already in Ukraine. What weapons have been spotted on Ukrainian fighters
F-16s already in Ukraine (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Western F-16 fighters are already on the territory of Ukraine and are ready to perform combat missions. Along with the aircraft, the partners have provided Ukraine with a number of different weapons to go with them.
This afternoon, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed journalists the first F-16s to arrive in Ukraine, and his press service published a video of the Ukrainian fighters. The video showed that the planes have already been fitted with various weapons.
RBC-Ukraine spoke to aviation expert Valerii Romanenko to find out what kind of weapons the Ukrainian Air Force received along with Western aircraft.
What kind of missiles are on Ukrainian F-16s
As Romanenko explained in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine, the published footage showed that Ukrainian F-16s are equipped with two types of air-to-air missiles - AIM-9 Sidewinder and AMRAAM AIM-120.
AIM-9 is a short-range missile manufactured by the American company Raytheon. It was adopted in 1956, has several modifications, and is still in mass production. Such missiles would be useful against Russian drones such as the Shahed and cruise missiles. Read more about the AIM-9 missiles in RBC-Ukraine's previous article.
Photo by Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine
As for the AMRAAM AIM-120, it is a medium-range missile designed to engage air targets beyond the line of sight.
"If there was no AIM-120, it would be a great sorrow. These fighters would be on par with Mirage-5. They would have been used only as air defense. If there are AMRAAMs, then these are full-fledged machines," the aviation expert explained.
According to Romanenko, there are virtually no restrictions on the battlefield for F-16s in this configuration and they can "compete" with any current Russian aircraft.
What else was noticed on Ukrainian F-16s
According to the aviation expert, the aircraft shown in the video are equipped with the most successful electronic countermeasures system AN/ALQ-131. This system helps to warn of and detect threats to the aircraft.
"This system warns of enemy radar exposure and even missile launch. It warns the aircraft that missiles have been launched at it and also helps analyze the direction of threats," he explained.
Photo by Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine
The Ukrainian F-16s are also equipped with electronic warfare-resistant communication and navigation systems, as well as the Link 16 system, which supports the exchange of tactical data between command, aircraft, ships, and ground units.
In addition, the F-16s shown are equipped with several fuel tanks at once.
According to Romanenko, this may indicate that the aircraft will be based in the deep rear.
"Apparently, they will fly with additional fuel tanks. They will be based at some very rear airfields to increase safety due to higher fuel and engine consumption," the aviation expert summarized.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the number of F-16s already on Ukrainian land is not enough, but Ukraine is waiting for additional aircraft from partners.
As The Economist previously reported, the Ukrainian army could have received 10 F-16 fighters at the end of July. Another 10 planes should arrive in Ukraine by the end of the year. The rest of the promised planes will be delivered in batches as early as 2025.
