Ukrainian Air Force reveals number of targets shot down by F-16 pilots
Photo: F-16 pilot (Getty Images)
Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots have already destroyed more than 3,150 aerial targets, including 666 cruise missiles and approximately 2,500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types, according to the press service of the Air Force Command.
According to the Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko, Ukrainian pilots are operating available F-16s with a limited ammunition supply but continue to carry out missions using various types of weaponry.
"Our pilots are making maximum effective use of the available F-16s with limited ammunition stocks. Using a diverse range of weaponry, Ukrainian F-16 pilots have already shot down more than 3,150 aerial targets: 666 cruise missiles and about 2,500 UAVs of various types, and have carried out more than 650 airstrikes against enemy ground targets," Kryvonozhko stated.
The commander made the statement following a meeting between an Air Force delegation and representatives of the American company Lockheed Martin.
Conor McGuire, head of F-16 capability development, highly praised the operation and combat use of the fighters by Ukrainian pilots, as well as the work of ground aviation personnel.
He also expressed readiness to help Ukraine enhance the capabilities of the existing platform.
During the meeting, the parties separately discussed the prospect of the Air Force transitioning to new modifications of the Fighting Falcon. In particular, discussions focused on the F-16 Block 70/72.
Ukrainian F-16 fighters are forced to conserve missiles and, during certain missions, engage Russian aerial targets using onboard cannons due to a critical shortage of weaponry.
During his visit to the US, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the team from F-16 and Patriot missile manufacturer Lockheed Martin, discussing expanded cooperation, technology exchange, and increased supplies of critically important weaponry for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
