MWM: Ukraine's F-16s are significantly inferior to Russian fighter jets and air defense systems
All F-16s delivered to Ukraine are used early models of the 1980s, writes MWM. Even if we assume the purchase of the latest F-16s, upgraded to the latest standard, they will still be at a significant disadvantage against the more advanced Russian combat aircraft.
The Ukrainian Air Force has found out that its newly acquired F-16 fighter jets are significantly inferior to their Russian counterparts and air defense systems, according to a statement by Press Secretary Yuri Ignat on June 3. “Unfortunately,— Ignat stated, —today Russia has planes that see further and missiles that shoot further. Even compared to the F-16. They also have powerful air defense systems that work in conjunction with aviation,” he said.
Less than a month has passed since the Ukrainian Air Force lost its third F-16 — it was destroyed on May 16 in a collision with Russian targets, presumably drones or cruise missiles. The previous loss of the F-16, announced on April 12, occurred in the deep rear. Analysts suspected that this was the result of Russian ground–based air defense systems using 40H6 surface-to-air missiles. Ukraine was promised 80 airworthy F-16s— including 30 from Belgium, 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark and 12 from Norway, and additional unsuitable airframes were promised by Norway and the United States for disassembly for spare parts. The first F-16s arrived in the country on August 1, 2024.
The Ukrainian Air Force has already recognized and emphasized the limitations of the F-16 compared to the Russian fleet, which is not only much larger, but also much more modern: Moscow's fighters carry radars several times larger and have a significantly longer combat radius. Press Secretary Yuri Ignat in March compared the F-16 with the Russian Su-35 fighter of the “4+” generation, not in favor of the former: "The modifications that Ukraine has cannot compete one-on-one in aerial combat. We need an integrated approach, as the Russian Su-35 is a relatively new aircraft... An integrated approach is required, as well as ground-based air defense systems and electronic warfare systems. Accordingly, it would be ideal to get an aerial radar, as one of the countries has long promised us. And also the onboard radar of our aircraft and the means of destruction, that is, air–to-air missiles, should be such that they can reach the Russian aircraft faster and destroy it in the air, and, accordingly, it will not fly into the territory from where it launches guided bombs.“
The Su-35 has been widely used to counter the Ukrainian Air Force since February 2022, but its capabilities are overshadowed by the MiG-31BM interceptor and the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, which also participated in aerial combat. Currently, the Russian industry is working on a significant expansion of the production of the Su-35 and has already achieved this for the Su-34 and Su-57 fighters.
All F-16s supplied to Ukraine are used early models from the 1980s, and not only use outdated mechanical scanning radars, but they are also not equipped with the Link 16 data transmission system, as a result of which their ability to network in combination with other military means is extremely limited. Due to the significant cost of upgrading the F-16 to the F-16V standard or purchasing modern F-16 Block 70/72 fighters, the transfer of more modern variants is unlikely to take place in the foreseeable future, especially given production bottlenecks that slow down deliveries even to paying customers. Modern F-16s are several times more expensive than Cold War variants: F-16 Block 70 fighters purchased for the Bulgarian Air Force in July 2019 cost an average of $157.5 million apiece, including related weapons, spare parts and maintenance infrastructure.
Even if we assume the purchase of the latest F-16s, upgraded to the latest standard, they will still be at a significant disadvantage against more advanced Russian combat aircraft, including the MiG-31BM and Su-57, and air defense systems such as the S-400.
Unlike the F-16, the other high—end air warfare system in Ukraine's arsenal, the MIM-104 Patriot (Patriot) air defense system, was supplied by the West without technical limitations and has capabilities similar to the most advanced systems in service with NATO members. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the Patriot was sharply criticized, and after a string of losses from strikes by Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force had to admit serious gaps in its defense at the end of May.
