Ukrainian F-16s swept 4,700 Russian drones, but half of them were in maintenance trouble

The picture shows a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet. (European News Agency file photo)

[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Comprehensive Report] Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets continue to play an important role in air defense operations. Ukrainian officials revealed that the F-16 fleet has shot down a total of 4,700 Russian one-way attack drones, 1,100 in October alone, and can even effectively intercept jet-powered drones with speeds of 400 kilometers per hour. However, as the Russian army continues to expand the scale of its air strikes, the Ukrainian army is also facing a serious shortage of fighter parts and air-to-air missiles. About half of its F-16s must even be repaired in Europe, which affects the maintenance of overall combat effectiveness.

The military news website "Air & Space Forces Magazine" reported that Ukraine's charge d'affaires in the United States, Denys Sienik, said at a defense press corps event on the 5th that the F-16 has demonstrated extremely high effectiveness in both frontline and homeland defense missions, especially for high-speed jet-powered drones used by the Russian military. It has important interception capabilities.

The F-16 currently operated by the Ukrainian army is mainly provided by European allies. It is the F-16AM/BM mid-term performance improvement (MLU) produced decades ago. Although it has been partially upgraded, it still lacks the APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar, advanced data link and new electronic combat equipment. The overall performance is still lagging behind the latest F-16.

The Ukrainian government pointed out that F-16s have shot down a total of 4,700 Russian one-way attack drones, 1,100 of which were completed in October. Since air-to-air missiles are expensive and insufficient in inventory, Ukrainian pilots mainly use the 20 mm "Vulcan" cannon on board to intercept drones. Other types of fighter aircraft have also begun to try to shoot down drones with cannons.

However, fighter aircraft maintenance has become another major challenge. Ukrainian President Zelensky pointed out that about half of the F-16s are undergoing repair or maintenance in Europe at any time. Schenik admitted that some fighter jets have been grounded due to lack of spare parts, and have been discussing with manufacturer Lockheed Martin, emphasizing that obtaining spare parts is as important as increasing the number of fighter jets.

Ukraine also hopes to further acquire the latest F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets to enhance its radar, avionics and electronic warfare capabilities, but relevant arms sales still need to be approved by the Trump administration. Schenik pointed out that funding is not the only obstacle. Allies have the ability to help raise funds. The key lies in the political decision of the United States.

In addition, Denmark has recently provided assistance to Ukraine with more than 50,000 rounds of 20 mm cannon ammunition. However, as winter approaches, the Russian army continues to increase drone and missile attacks. Related assistance may only temporarily alleviate the demand for ammunition.

Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General David A. Deptula analyzed that the Ukrainian army faces compound threats such as propeller- and jet-powered drones, cruise missiles, Russian fighter jets, and long-range air defense systems. In the future, in addition to adding F-16, Mirage 2000, and Griffin fighter jets, it will also need airborne early warning aircraft, low-cost interception weapons, and a complete command and control system to establish a modern air force that can be sustained in the long term.