Recently emerged imagery of Ukrainian Air Force F-16s shows the fighters carrying a variety of weapons and other stores, apparently in the course of combat sorties, providing an interesting look at the type’s operational service in the war with Russia. The new imagery reveals specific details of load-outs used in operational air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, including some weapons not previously seen on these jets.
While the quality of these images varies, the clearest example shows an F-16 apparently returning from a daytime combat air patrol sortie and preparing to land. This seems to have been first posted by the Ukrainian Soniah_Hub channel on the Telegram messaging app.
Seen from below, the fighter is carrying two AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles and a single AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). This suggests that one AMRAAM was expended in combat, although it’s also possible, if not far less likely, that the jet may have launched with this asymmetric load.
We haven’t previously seen the AIM-9X on Ukrainian F-16s, with earlier imagery showing the jets fitted with the earlier AIM-9L/M.
Compared with the AIM-9L/M, the AIM-9X offers a more potent short-range air-to-air missile capability that can be used in conjunction with the F-16’s Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) for high off-boresight (HOBS) engagements. While we know that JHMCS was supplied together with the F-16s, even without it, the AIM-9X is a very valuable weapon that is particularly relevant for defending against drones and cruise missiles. You can read all about employing AIM-9X without a helmet-mounted sight here.
Another weapon seen for the first time on a Ukrainian F-16 is the AIM-120C version of the AMRAAM, on the left wingtip rail. This version can be identified on account of its cropped fins for internal carriage in the F-22 and F-35.
As we’ve discussed in the past, the AIM-120C offers some significant advantages over the earlier AIM-120A/B models. Aside from this, the AMRAAM is significant in that it’s Ukraine’s first active-radar-guided air-to-air missile. This is a class of weapons that was long sought after by Ukraine. One of its fighter pilots, the late Andrii Pilshchykov, better known by his callsign “Juice,” told TWZ: “The lack of fire and forget missiles is the greatest problem for us.”
The AIM-120C features an improved guidance system and enhanced resistance to countermeasures, although perhaps the single most important factor for Ukraine is its additional range, reportedly a feature of later subvariants (like the AIM-120C-5 and C-7). This would provide the Ukrainian Air Force with a counter of sorts to Russia’s long-range R-37M air-to-air missile. Typical Russian tactics involve firing the R-37M from outside the range of the missiles carried by Ukrainian fighters. While the AIM-120C won’t offer parity with the R-37M, any way of increasing the lethal range of the F-16, as a counter to Russian fighters, will be very welcome.
The same F-16 is also carrying three external fuel tanks, to maximize its endurance, an especially important factor considering Ukraine has no air-to-air refueling assets.
Of poorer quality is a brief video that emerged recently showing an F-16 streaking at low level, purportedly close to the front lines.
It’s hard to make out all of the details of the aircraft’s load-out but it appears to be configured for an air-to-ground mission. In particular, stations 3 and 7 under the wings look to be fitted with BRU-61 racks, each of which can carry four GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs).
The Ukrainian Air Force is already making extensive use of the SDB launched from Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters and it’s not a huge surprise to see the same store being hauled into battle by the F-16.
The SDB offers numerous advantages as an air-to-ground weapon for the F-16. As well as the ability to carry relatively large numbers of these stores, the SDB offers a high level of accuracy and a useful standoff range, and it can be used to strike semi-hardened static targets. Just as importantly, large numbers of SDBs are available in existing NATO stockpiles.
Interestingly, the F-16AM version that is being supplied to Ukraine by a coalition of Western partners is not widely associated with the SDB. In fact, it seems that, of the various F-16AM/BM operators, only the Netherlands used the SDB with these MLU-upgraded aircraft.
There are also two underwing fuel tanks and an AN/ALQ-131 electronic countermeasures pod carried on the centerline. A podded electronic warfare capability of this kind gives the F-16 a valuable extra layer of survivability, especially important when flying air-to-ground missions in close proximity to the battlefield and its ever-present ground-based air defense threat.
As for the ALQ-131, this widely used pod provides self-protection against radar threats, responding to them with a combination of noise, repeater, or transponder electronic jamming techniques. The pod has a modular design and can operate across multiple frequency bands, also being rapidly re-programmed to address changing threats.
It is especially interesting that the ALQ-131 being carried by this F-16 is just one part of the aircraft’s electronic warfare self-protection suite, reflecting the intensity of the threat.
Ukrainian F-16s are also equipped with Pylon Integrated Dispensing System Plus (PIDS+) systems, and perhaps also the more advanced Electronic Combat Integrated Pylon System Plus (ECIPS+), both of which are made by the Terma company in Denmark. Both these pylons are bolt-on self-defense systems that feature missile approach warning sensors (MAWS) that can detect incoming missile threats, while the PIDS+ also have additional dispensers for chaff and flares. The pylons can also provide radar warning and homing receiver capabilities, which give the pilot situational awareness of radar-based threats.
As we have discussed before, prior to their delivery, Ukraine’s F-16s had their electronic warfare systems optimized, with U.S. Air Force assistance, to better defend those jets against Russian threats. As part of ongoing collaboration on this front, the Ukrainians will pass data they collect in combat back to the United States to help further refine and improve electronic warfare capabilities available to both countries, as well as other allies and partners.
Defensive weapons appear to comprise two Sidewinders under the wings (these may well be AIM-9L/M versions, in this case) as well as AMRAAMs on the wingtips. Those wingtip stores don’t necessarily look like AMRAAMs, but there doesn’t seem to be any other immediate alternative for this location and what we are probably seeing is the distorted effect of the pixelation and generally lower-quality video.
Overall, while it appears the Ukrainian F-16s were introduced to combat primarily in an air defense capacity, especially in the protection of cities and infrastructure against Russian drone and cruise missile attacks, the aircraft is now flying air-to-ground sorties too, making fuller use of its multirole capabilities.
The introduction of the F-16 by the Ukrainian Air Force hasn’t been entirely without problems.
In August 2024, less than a month after the type was first confirmed as being in the country, Ukraine confirmed the loss of its first F-16 and one of its pilots in a crash during a combat mission.
Since then, deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine have been delayed. In particular, deliveries of the F-16s promised by Belgium were expected to begin before the end of 2024, but this has yet to happen. The problem is a lack of trained Ukrainian pilots and spare parts, according to the Belgian Ministry of Defense. Last week, however, it was reported that a batch of former Dutch F-16s had also arrived in Ukraine.
In all, around 85 F-16s have now been promised to Ukraine, which include 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark, and 12 from Norway (with the same country providing 10 more that will be used for spare parts), while Belgium says it will supply 30.
As more F-16s arrive, and the type becomes better established in Ukrainian service, we should learn more about the kinds of missions that it’s flying. At the same time, with a wide range of potential weapons and stores compatible with the Viper, we’re almost certain to see other and more varied load-outs on these aircraft as they expand their mission profiles.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com