Ukraine surpasses US in specific F-16 combat tactics, Defense Express reports
Photo: Ukraine outpaces US in specific F-16 battlefield tactics (Getty Images)
Ukrainian aviation has effectively outpaced the United States in using the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) tactic. F-16 pilots are successfully countering enemy drones and cruise missiles, developing their own innovative combat methods, according to Defense Express.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' air arm is actively employing multirole F-16 fighters to defend against hostile aerial threats.
A pilot with the callsign "AB," deputy commander of one of the aviation brigades, said their unit has shot down more than 1,000 long-range drones, including Shaheds, as well as various cruise missiles. Ukrainian pilots have already carried out hundreds of successful air engagements, repelling attacks by Russian missiles and drones.
As the US Air & Space Forces Magazine writes, earlier this month, the Ukrainian F-16 pilot known as "AB" visited the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in the United States, where he spoke about the important role F-16s play in defending Ukrainian airspace.
The outlet notes that although the Ukrainian Air Force did not receive the most modern F-16 variants, operating instead in conditions that could prove challenging even for advanced air forces, Ukrainian pilots are showing strong results both in fighting aerial targets and conducting ground strikes.
It is also emphasized that pilots and ground personnel, with limited support, have managed to develop innovative tactics, techniques, and procedures that maximize the combat effectiveness of their F-16s.
According to the F-16 pilot, Ukrainian aviation currently has an urgent need for more powerful and effective electronic warfare systems and countermeasure capabilities, given how rapidly this area is developing in Russia.
For maximum fighter effectiveness, Block 70 aircraft and deliveries of larger quantities of missiles for these jets are needed.
Finally, the outlet pays particular attention to how Ukraine is successfully implementing the so-called Agile Combat Employment concept, operating dispersedly and under constant enemy strikes.
Ukraine is the first to practically test this tactic in combat against a strong adversary - an approach the US Air Force is also implementing.
Yesterday, it became known that Ukraine will receive additional F-16s from Belgium, which will be replaced by the first fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets that have already begun arriving in the country.
In addition, we reported that the Air Force received unique mobile maintenance complexes for servicing F-16 fighters.
This will allow the aircraft to be used as efficiently as possible during the war.
