Ukraine, all the details on the F-16 jet destroyed on mission
The Kiev General Staff confirms the loss of an F-16 jet: the US-made fighter destroyed after a crash during a mission against the Russian attack. Facts and insights
An F-16 fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed and the pilot died.
This was confirmed by the General Staff of the Ukrainian military forces after the Wall Street Journal 's rumors about the loss of the aircraft a few weeks after the sending of the first US-made F-16s to the Kiev air force, much requested by President Zelensky to the Western allies since since the beginning of the Russian invasion to strengthen its small and old post-Soviet fleet.
Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine used its F-16s for the first time this week to intercept Russian missiles and drones, the Financial Times reports.
All the details.
THE DYNAMICS OF THE ACCIDENT
An F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in a crash in Ukraine. The incident dates back to last Monday.
THE PILOT DEAD
The Western Command of the Ukrainian Air Force said on Facebook that pilot Oleksiy Mes died in a combat mission on Monday. “Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life,” the statement read.
CONFIRMATION OF THE UKRAINIAN HEADQUARTERS
“F-16 fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were used together with anti-aircraft missile units during the repelling of a missile attack by the Russian Federation. During the air battle, the F-16s demonstrated their high efficiency: four enemy cruise missiles were shot down,” the Ukrainian General Staff said. “During the approach to the next target, communication with one of the aircraft was lost. As it turned out later, the plane crashed and the pilot died,” continues the message from the General Staff on Telegram.
A COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION
According to what the FT reveals, a special commission has been opened to investigate the possible causes of the F-16 crash. These range from pilot and mechanical error to friendly fire, according to a source quoted by the British newspaper.
THE FLEET OF THE UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE
Ukraine did not provide details on the size of its new fleet, although the loss left a significant mark. The Times of London quoted a source as saying Ukraine had six jets. Last year, US President Joe Biden approved the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine from NATO countries including Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway which committed to supplying more than 60 aircraft. A number “eclipsed by Russia's jet fighter fleet, which is about 10 times larger,” Defense News highlights. Ukraine needs at least 130 F-16 fighters to neutralize Russian air power, according to officials in Kiev.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Mes's death and the loss of the F-16 mark a significant setback for Kiev, which has spent two years pleading with Western partners to send a fleet of US-made fighter jets to help it counter Russian attacks and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them, comments the Ft .
As Reuters recalls, military analysts have said that the small number of F-16s, while significant, is unlikely to represent a turning point in the conflict.
“Whatever the number, they will always be insufficient” General Leonardo Tricarico, president of the ICSA Foundation and former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, observed to Startmag the day after the delivery of the first F-16 jets to Kiev. “It was known from the beginning that they wouldn't have been enough", General Tricarico explains to Startmag : "Also because, if they have the airplanes, then they don't have the pilots. They can become operational on this machine, but for one reason or another they will not be able to achieve an operational capability that could significantly change the balance of power between Russia and Ukraine.”
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/ucraina-tutti-i-dettagli-sul-jet-f-16-distrutto-in-missione/ on Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:25:19 +0000.