Ukraine's F‑16s need more firepower to strike ground targets
Gen. Ihor Romanenko, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believes that the defense forces are not fully utilizing the F-16 fighters. However, he attributes this situation not to the technical condition or capabilities of the aircraft, but to the indecisiveness of the West regarding the provision of appropriate weaponry.
The general stated that the F-16 fighters currently transferred to Ukraine can only perform air defense tasks, which they do very well. To more effectively counter Russian aggression, according to Romanenko, weapons are also needed that enable striking ground targets.
Ukrainian F-16s need more powerful armaments
"The general emphasized the importance of equipping F-16s with more advanced missiles, such as JASSM, which would enable effective operations not only in the air but also against ground targets," TSN reported. "This is extremely important for us. We need not only the aircraft but also more powerful aviation weaponry," Romanenko said.
JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) are missiles produced by the American company Lockheed Martin. For example, F-16s equipped with AGM-158 JASSM are used by Poland, among others. These are subsonic missiles that reach speeds of about 0.8-0.9 Mach. At the same time, they are made with stealth technology. Older versions allow striking targets within a range of about 230 miles, while newer JASSM-ER variants extend this range to over 560 miles.
Previously, in the context of the equipment shortages of Ukrainian F-16s, the Link-16 data link standard was also mentioned. It is widely used by NATO countries, which likely led to concerns that, in the event of the loss of an F-16, some sensitive Western technologies might fall into Russian hands.
Ukrainian F-16s will receive upgrades
The U.S. Department of State has made decisions that will improve the capabilities of the F-16s. Although in a different scope, these enhancements should positively influence their abilities.
On December 10, it was announced that there is an agreement on so-called Sustainment Services worth over $266 million. This package includes service support and necessary equipment, which will feature the JMPS (Joint Mission Planning System) and AN/PYQ-10 cryptographic modules, among others.
The F-16 fighters themselves are also systematically reaching the front lines. On December 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the second batch of F-16s provided by Denmark had arrived. The Scandinavian country has planned a total of three batches, which will collectively strengthen the Ukrainian air force with 19 of these fighters.
