The F-16 fighters that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) can receive can be equipped with AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, as well as GBU-53 bombs./B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). The corresponding weapon was listed by the publication The Drive.
As stated, HARM will expand the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to counter Russian air defense (air defense). Other missiles — AMRAAM — are already being used by the Ukrainian side as part of the Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defense systems. The publication admits that the APU can get a more effective version of AMRAAM than they have now. Sidewinder is also used by the APU as part of NASAMS, but Kiev can get older versions of missiles for fighters.
GBU-53/B bombs, according to the publication, will become critically important for the APU, as they will allow them to hit protected shelters with high accuracy.
The Drive admits that together with the F-16, the Ukrainian side can receive IRIS-T missiles (known as AIM-2000), JDAM-ER/JDAM, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD), AIM-7 Sparrow, AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), AGM-142 Popeye/Have Nap and AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).
"The arrival of the F-16 will be an important increase in the combat capability of Ukraine. The weapons obtained for use with the F-16 will largely determine its true value in the near future," the publication summarizes.
In March, Justin Bronk, an analyst at the Royal United Institute for Defense Studies (UK), said in a comment to Defense News [...] that the Swedish Gripen would be the best fighter for Ukraine that Western countries could supply. The expert considered the American F-16 unsuitable for Ukraine because of too large air intakes that require good runways.
