Ukrainian Ruslan Airlifts F-16 ADF Airframes From U.S. — But Why?

The United States has transferred a batch of F-16 fighter fuselages to Ukraine for disassembly and use as spare parts.

The War Zone reported this news, citing a U.S. Air Force representative.

A Ukrainian An-124-100M Ruslan transport aircraft was recently seen at Tucson International Airport loading covered airframes that appeared to be F-16s.

The aircraft were stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, one of the largest aircraft storage facilities in the world.

Some of the fuselages appeared to show nose-mounted APX-119 antennas, indicating they may be Block 15 models configured for air defense (Air Defense Fighter, ADF) roles.

The airframes sent to Ukraine are stripped of engines, radar, onboard electronics, and other key systems. They are not combat-capable and are intended solely as sources of spare parts or training models.

The U.S. Air Force declined to disclose the number or specific variants of the airframes provided.

The An-124 can carry up to four such fuselages per flight, suggesting this may be the quantity delivered on this occasion.

F-16 Block 15 ADF airframes have already appeared at Ukrainian airfields, including during the first official presentation of F-16s by the Ukrainian Air Force.

Their presence drew attention, as the ADF variant — with its distinctive features — was never in service with European nations. While the Block 15 variant was used in Europe in the OCU configuration, it is possible these aircraft also ended up in Ukraine.

At the time, the U.S. had not officially confirmed any F-16 transfers to Ukraine, and ADF variants have long been retired globally. Their appearance prompted speculation about their purpose.

Observers suggested they could be training models, mock-ups, or non-flying airframes for spare parts. As is now evident, the latter two assumptions were accurate.