Sébastien Roblin
What You Need to Know: Ukraine’s newly acquired F-16s faced their first significant challenge as one of the jets was lost during an engagement against a massive Russian missile barrage on August 26.
-The aircraft, piloted by the experienced Colonel Oleksiy Mes, was one of the first six F-16AMs delivered to Ukraine. The loss highlights both the strategic value and the inherent risks of deploying these jets, particularly as Ukraine continues to train pilots under accelerated programs.
-While the incident raises concerns, it also demonstrates the F-16’s capability to intercept cruise missiles, a crucial role for Ukraine’s defense.
First Ukrainian F-16s Lost While Battling Russian Missile Onslaught: Ukraine’s General staff revealed on Thursday that it had lost one of its first six F-16AM jet fighter earlier that Monday (August 26) when it was scrambled to defend against a massive wave of 236 Russian drones and cruise and ballistic missiles. The loss comes less than one month after Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelensky unveiled the first F-16s finally deployed to Ukrainian soil after more than two years of lobbying.
The destruction of the recently acquired, hand-me-down jets surely stings, though falls well short of disaster as Ukraine is slated to acquire at least 70-90 more F-16s in the next few years. These afterall are first-generation F-16A and F-16B aircraft license-built in Europe by the 1980s, then upgraded in the 1990s—vitally the first new combat aircraft received by Ukraine’s Air Force since it was created in 1991, but not expensive, cutting-edge aircraft by 2020 standards.
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