The Ukrainian Air Force has, for the first time, used a Lockheed Martin F-16 to shoot down a Russian aircraft, specifically a Sukhoi Su-35S fighter-bomber, according to a report from the Kyiv Post. The engagement occurred on June 7 near the town of Korenevo in the Kursk region of Russia and allegedly involved support from a Saab 340 airborne early warning and control plane, also a new entrant in the UAF’s fleet. The Russian pilot successfully ejected before their plane was shot down.
F-16s, advanced NATO fighter jets, first started arriving in the besieged country in August 2024 after a protracted political campaign to acquire them to replace Ukraine’s aging Soviet-era fighter fleet. Much of the analysis at the time noted that F-16s would alter the balance of power in the air, making it much more difficult for Russia to strike with impunity. The fighter’s first air-to-air kill in the war would seem to validate that theory.
The Planes Involved In The Skirmish
The specific fighter in the sortie was an F-16AM originally from the Netherlands, which has given 24 such planes to Ukraine. The Royal Netherlands Air Force doesn’t particularly need the fighters anymore, since it fully retired F-16s out of its fleet in September 2024 (replaced entirely by Lockheed Martin F-35s). These Dutch planes are old, first deployed in 1979, although they did receive upgrades in the meantime. Still, they’re a sight better than the archaic Soviet-made MiG-29s that Ukraine had been flying up until now. Over half of that fleet has been destroyed by more modern Russian systems since the start of the full-scale invasion.
By contrast, the Su-35 was first deployed in 2012 and is considered to be a “fourth-and-a-half-generation” fighter, more advanced than Cold War planes but not quite up to par with the ultra-modern F-35. A derivation of the earlier Su-27, it features vastly upgraded avionics and better maneuverability than its predecessor. It is still in production as one of the mainstays of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
If hand-me-down F-16s from the 1970s can prove themselves to be a match for Russia’s current-day fighters, that makes it much more difficult for the invading country to deploy its air assets into Ukraine. Worse for Russia’s long-term prospects, it doesn’t exactly bode well for a potential match-up between Su-35s and NATO’s F-35s. Like all bullies, in trying to look tough, Russia might actually be showing just how weak it really is.Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox…
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