{"id":62745,"date":"2026-01-06T23:24:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=62745"},"modified":"2026-01-13T21:56:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:56:20","slug":"the-new-tactics-implemented-by-the-ukrainian-air-force-with-its-f-16-fighters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/01\/06\/the-new-tactics-implemented-by-the-ukrainian-air-force-with-its-f-16-fighters\/","title":{"rendered":"The new tactics implemented by the Ukrainian Air Force with its F-16 fighters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ukraine is about to complete two years of operating its first Western-made fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/06\/08\/an-f-16-fighter-jet-defeated-the-larger-and-more-modern-russian-su-35s-with-a-little-swedish-help\/\">An F-16 fighter jet defeated the larger and more modern Russian Su-35S with a little Swedish help<\/a><\/rel><br \/>\n<rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/08\/04\/the-ukrainian-air-force-shows-off-its-f-16-fighters-revealing-some-details\/\">The Ukrainian Air Force shows off its F-16 fighters, revealing some details<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Ukrainian Air Force has received dozens of F-16s donated by the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, and Norway.<\/strong> These are F-16A (single-seat) and F-16B (two-seat) fighter jets, many of which had been retired from service and replaced in those countries with the more modern F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters. <strong>Ukrainian pilots are very pleased with the F-16<\/strong>, a much more advanced aircraft (despite its years of service) than the Soviet- and Russian-made fighters previously operated by Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027687746_bf91e63f80_h.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027687746_ac2cea62f7_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ukrainian F-16 pilots had to undergo emergency training to adapt to this aircraft.<\/strong> That training included tactics typically used by Western pilots of these fighter jets. However, <strong>the Ukrainian Air Force has been forced to revise some of those tactics<\/strong> due to the unique circumstances of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force indicated this yesterday in a video posted on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ukrainianairforce9041\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">its YouTube channel<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u041d\u0430 \u0448\u043b\u044f\u0445\u0443 \u0434\u043e F-16: \u0435\u043a\u0441\u043a\u043b\u044e\u0437\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0430 \u0456\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0456\u044f \u0432\u0456\u0434 \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043f\u0456\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0430\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a4E-D4NfFSk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The video description states that <em>\"<strong>the F-16 has become not only a new type of equipment, but a strategic tool for the protection of our cities and critical infrastructure<\/strong>\"<\/em>. Today, the Ukrainian website specializing in defense issues <a href=\"https:\/\/militarnyi.com\/uk\/news\/taktyka-partneriv-ne-pidijshla-piloty-f-16-zmusheni-buly-zminyuvaty-pravyla-boyu-pid-realiyi-vij ny-v-ukrayini\/?__cf_chl_tk=irI45rNhDRJHYMfBGRLKgrp96RZ1uNrK2.gLaEYxS34-1767733576-1.0.1.1-NNGMpwXh7cAwkApkouiPlnbsQ7soW_zF7m9_MhoRnTc\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Militarnyi.com<\/a> explained <strong>the Ukrainian milestones with this plane:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\"<strong>By November 2025, Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets had intercepted<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/militarnyi.com\/uk\/news\/ukrayinski-f-16-perehopyly-vzhe-ponad-1300-raket-i-droniv\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more than 1,300 Russian missiles and drones<\/a> during their service. At the same time, there is a known instance where <strong>a Ukrainian F-16 was the first in the world to shoot down<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/militarnyi.com\/uk\/news\/ukrayinskyj-f-16-zbyv-shist-krylatyh-raket\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">six Russian cruise missiles<\/a> in a single combat mission, two of them equipped with a cannon. Furthermore, by November, Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets <a href=\"https:\/\/militarnyi.com\/uk\/news\/ukrayinski-f-16-vykonaly-ponad-300-uspishnyh-udariv-po-nazemnyh-tsilyah-voroga\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">have struck more than 300 ground targets<\/a>, including \"hundreds of units\" of enemy equipment, command posts, drone control points, ammunition depots, and enemy logistics facilities.\"<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Militarnyi.com presents the testimony of the Ukrainian pilot seen in the video<\/strong>, explaining the new tactics they have introduced with these aircraft, to adapt what they have learned to the reality of this war:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\"Upon returning home from training, we were confronted with reality: <strong>the tactics we were taught abroad are not entirely suitable for the war we are fighting<\/strong>. Because these tactics are based on wars in which our partners have previously participated. <strong>And this war is fundamentally different from those wars<\/strong>. (...) We had to sit down and think about practical tactics: <strong>how we would destroy cruise missiles, how we would attack drones<\/strong>, how we would fight the enemy near the line of combat contact.\"<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>The Ukrainian pilot points out that the main threat to the F-16s comes from the Russian Su-35, Su-57, and MiG-31 fighter jets<\/strong>. The first two are more modern than the American fighter, and the third, although from the same era as the F-16, is much faster: it can reach a speed of Mach 2.83 (about 3,000 km\/h).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55026788737_27f4e785ee_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55026788737_b89ffb2772_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Ukrainian pilot in yesterday's video points out that almost no sortie to the front line with his fighters is complete without enemy missiles being launched at them<\/strong>, usually air-to-air missiles, and adds this about his rivals:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\"<strong>They have the capability to remain in the service area, waiting for our groups to attack at high altitude.<\/strong> Unfortunately, we do not have this capability. Therefore, we have to fly at lower altitudes to reduce the threat from anti-aircraft missile systems.\"<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Militarnyi.com notes that <em>\"<strong>Ukrainian pilots have to use low-altitude maneuvering tactics:<\/strong> it is more difficult for enemy radars and missile warheads to capture and maintain a target against the ground background, <strong>which creates a significant amount of background noise and blocks direct radar visibility<\/strong>.\"<\/em> Furthermore, a major deficiency of Ukraine's defenders must be considered: <strong>the Ukrainian Air Force lacks early warning and air-to-air refueling aircraft<\/strong> capable of supporting F-16s on their missions, so Ukrainian fighters cannot conduct patrols as long as Russian fighters.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027687766_bc396f29cb_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027687766_32f164435f_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Furthermore, the Ukrainian pilot explains the tactics he employs when escorting attack aircraft<\/strong> on front-line missions to distract the Russian fighters waiting for them: <em>\"<strong>We work in groups of three and force the enemy to launch two missiles from different directions.<\/strong> As a result, we manage to have our attack aircraft destroy the target and the entire group return safely to the airfield, to our families and our squadron.\"<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u2708 Mirage 2000 of the Ukrainian Air Force\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IbKOwhRQzMg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>In addition to the F-16, Ukraine has received an unknown number of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets<\/strong> (above, you can see a video published by the Ukrainian Air Force about this aircraft in mid-November). It is an excellent aircraft with very good performance.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027871433_f96a04ee7f_o.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55027871433_6811fc74e8_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Thanks to these aircraft, <strong>Russian attacks with cruise missiles and drones against civilian targets are becoming increasingly ineffective<\/strong>, as Ukrainian air defenses manage to shoot down the vast majority of projectiles, whether using ground-based anti-aircraft systems or fighter jets like the F-16 and the Mirage 2000, whose pilots are performing truly heroic feats to defend the lives of their compatriots. <strong>My applause for those Ukrainian pilots.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>---<\/p>\n<p><small>Images: Ukrainian Air Force.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ukraine is about to complete two years of operating its first Western-made fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19534,11546],"tags":[3734,1257,16153,15307,16152],"class_list":["post-62745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense-portada-eng","category-military-aviation","tag-mirage-2000","tag-general-dynamics-f-16-fighting-falcon","tag-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-of-2022","tag-ukraine","tag-ukrainian-air-force"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-12 04:58:21","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62745\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}