According to Serhii Golubtsov, chief of aviation at the Air Force Command, delivering F-16 fighters will increase the use of HARM missiles and high-precision JDAM bombs.
Points of attention
- Ukraine will receive weapons and F-16 fighters, including HARM missiles and JDAM precision bombs.
- Modernised F-16s will have an improved sight for detecting air targets and special containers for pointing at ground objects.
- Using F-16 fighters with high-precision weapons will allow for hitting strategically important targets and maintaining victory on the front line.
- High-precision Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles help carry out strikes on enemy positions with great efficiency, and decoy missiles are used for support.
- The use of modern weapons on fighter jets will contribute to successful operations in support of ground forces and the performance of strategic tasks in the conditions of modern threats and conflicts.
What is known about Ukraine's acquisition of weapons together with the F-16
We hope so. According to the tactical and technical characteristics that are reported to us, there is a series of aircraft in which HARM will be used thanks to the sensors that are in the aircraft. That is, there will no longer be a missile launch in the hope that the anti-aircraft defense will be activated, but it will be launched exactly when the device on the ground is activated and emits radiation. Therefore, it will, of course, be more effective, since there will be no launch of a missile at a non-working anti-aircraft vehicle, Golubtsov explains.
He noted that all F-16s that Ukraine is to receive have been modernised.
There is an improved air sight. Together with the planes, a special container will be provided, which allows you to find and guide missiles and bombs at ground targets, added the Air Force aviation chief.
He also emphasised that the fighter jets for Ukraine were modernised precisely for the use of high-precision weapons.
Of course, we expect that the use of high-precision weapons will allow us to hit the targets that are necessary for victory, for the advancement of our ground troops to the state border and the liberation of our territories, Golubtsov emphasised.
He also noted that he would not like to reveal details about the radars installed on F-16 aircraft for Ukraine.
The pilots who are currently training abroad are all impressed with the stability of the scopes. They work without fail, they find targets from a drone to an airplane. I won't say what the range is, but the well-known AIM-120 missile is used there, and the range of its impact, let's say, according to some data, is up to 180 km plus. The main thing is to first try for ourselves how it works, and then develop a tactic in which we can do what I talked about. We must first ensure that anti-aircraft missiles do not fall on the heads of our soldiers on the front line, on peaceful cities such as Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and then further drive away the fighter jets as well, Golubtsov emphasised.
How the Armed Forces use high-precision Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles during strikes on Russia
The effectiveness of the weapon itself has not changed, but we have learned to use it better. Routes are chosen unexpected for Russians. Along with the Storm Shadow and Scalp, decoy missiles are used to simulate flight, but they exhaust their air defense system, distracting them from the real missiles that reach the targets. All of this can be seen in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, on the territory of the occupied Crimea and within the Black Sea. Everyone can see that now the Russians have significantly, significantly surrendered their positions there, notes the Air Force aviation chief.
According to the head of aviation, the effectiveness of these munitions is very high, although it also happens that the Russians shoot them down with anti-aircraft missiles.
Therefore, the more the UAF will provide distracting targets, the greater the chances that these missiles will reach the target. Currently, our military uses drones for this purpose, HARM anti-radar missiles to disable the enemy's air defense equipment, as well as MALD decoy missiles.
One of the vivid examples of the use of Storm Shadow and Scalp is the attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea.
I can't tell you how hard it is, because when you've been learning this stuff all your life, it's just a job. But I will say that there are many, many components involved in planning. This is the joint work of the State Security Service, the SBU, this is the work of the officers of the General Staff. First, it is necessary to accurately define the goal - whether it is relevant or not, how critical it is at the moment. It happens that we have planned, but while the planning process was going on, the goal is no longer relevant, it is canceled. The process is simple, but it requires coordination from many sides. And this is a complex, Golubtsov stressed.
He added that if there is a Storm Shadow or a Scalp, the military understands very well that the GUR, HIMARS artillery, and radio-electronic means that suppress near the battle line so that our missiles can pass are working next to them.
These missiles were made under an already existing platform in the West. And, of course, there in the pilot's cabin there were already appropriate monitors for displaying the readiness of these means, monitors for displaying the targets themselves, if it is in the field of view of the locator, and also the controls for these weapons. We had to do all this on our planes. Some aircraft are more amenable to conversion, such as the MiG-29. Su-27 aircraft are more complex. But all this is done thanks to our engineers and with the help of manufacturers, partners, said Golubtsov.
According to him, if these missiles were used on Western-made aircraft, their programming could be carried out directly in flight, and information about the target could be received directly online and on board the aircraft.
Such an opportunity will appear with the receipt of the F-16.
