Overview
- The aircraft are tasked primarily with intercepting cruise missiles and one-way attack drones targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
- Pilots mix AIM-9 and AIM-120 shots with 20mm cannon fire and have added targeting pods with laser-guided 70mm rockets to cut engagement costs.
- The air force reports more than 1,600 ground-attack sorties, including Small Diameter Bomb missions, in heavily defended airspace.
- Ukraine acknowledges four F-16 losses and often flies low in decoy and escort roles to draw Russian missiles away from strike aircraft.
- Officials have not reported any confirmed F-16 kills of crewed Russian aircraft, and units disperse jets across multiple airfields to reduce vulnerability on the ground.