Ukraine is Using F-16 Fighter Jets to Shoot Down Russian Drones

Faced with a missile shortage, Ukraine is using American-made F-16 fighter jets on the defense line against Russia's jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. Officials and experts point out that the F-16 fleet, which patrols intensively to stop these low-cost drones, runs the risk of attrition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that F-16s are among the most effective tools for shooting down drones, but noted that the small fleet of about 50 aircraft faces the risk of malfunctions due to being frequently in the air. In a statement this month, Zelenskyy noted that about half of the F-16 fleet is undergoing maintenance in Europe. Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula stated that Ukraine is forced to use a relatively small fighter jet fleet every day instead of an adequately supported layered air defense system.

Colonel Yurii Ihnat reported that fighter jets have shot down up to 90 percent of incoming cruise missiles in some attacks. According to the weapons-tracking site Oryx, five F-16s have been damaged or destroyed in combat since arriving in Ukraine. On the other hand, the F-16s have also achieved some successes; one pilot shot down 10 jet-powered drones in a single flight, while another pilot hit a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet in July. Meanwhile, pilot training continues at the Fetesti Air Base in Romania.