F-16 Fighter Jets Carry Out 80% of Ukrainian Air Force Combat Missions – U.S. Statement

F-16 fighter jets, provided to Ukraine as part of military aid, carry out about 80% of all combat sorties flown by the Ukrainian Air Force.

The  Air and Space Forces Magazine reported on this.

These combat aircraft are used, in particular, to intercept Russian cruise missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones.

According to the publication, earlier this month a Ukrainian F-16 pilot with the call sign ‘AB,’ who previously flew MiG-29s, visited the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in the United States. There, he spoke about the crucial role these fighter jets play in defending Ukraine’s airspace.

According to him, Ukrainian pilots have already conducted hundreds of successful air engagements, repelling attacks by Russian missiles and drones.

“A small fleet of Ukrainian F-16s, operated by a relatively limited number of F-16 pilots, is currently carrying out approximately 80% of all combat sorties flown by the Ukrainian Air Force,” the publication writes.

The article notes that although the Ukrainian Air Force received not the most advanced modifications of F-16, Ukrainian pilots are showing strong performance in engaging enemy aerial targets as well as in conducting strikes on ground targets.

In addition to air-to-air missiles, Ukrainian pilots also use the aircraft’s cannon to intercept drones.

In September, a video was released online showing a Ukrainian F-16 successfully destroying a Russian Shahed kamikaze drone using a 20mmm six-barrel Vulcan cannon.