Ukraine’s F-16 Fighting Falcon shot down Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber: report

What you need to know: An F-16 Fighting Falcon, possibly supplied by Denmark earlier this year, has reportedly claimed its first air-to-air kill against a Russian Su-34 aircraft in Ukraine. The incident, which occurred about 30 miles from the front lines, was first reported by pro-Kremlin milbloggers, although neither the Russian nor Ukrainian governments have officially commented.

-This would mark the F-16’s first confirmed aerial victory in the Ukraine conflict.

-The F-16 has been a critical part of NATO’s support for Ukraine, providing air defense capabilities against Russian drone and missile attacks. If confirmed, this would highlight the fighter’s effectiveness against Russian aircraft, fulfilling its mission to combat Soviet-era planes.

–The National Interest We cannot independently confirm the downed Su-34 at this time, and more information is being gathered.

Ukrainian F-16 shoots down Russian Su-34

The F-16 Fighting Falcon reportedly made its first air-to-air kill against a Russian-piloted aircraft in Ukraine. The Fighting Falcon, which was likely to be one of the aircraft supplied by NATO member Denmark, earlier this summer shot down a Russian Aerospace Force Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name Fullback).

Pro-Kremlin Russian bloggers, who have been highly critical of the handling of the war while still supporting Putin (at least publicly), claimed that the incident occurred about 30 miles from the front lines over Ukrainian airspace early in the Saturday afternoon.

The Fighterbomber channel shared an apparent tribute to the downed Su-34 with a black and white photo of the multi-role aircraft and the caption “Earth is the sky, brothers”.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not made any official statement about the alleged loss of the Su-34 on Saturday, nor has the Ukrainian Defense Ministry commented.

First fighting falcon “kills” in Ukraine

Earlier this year, NATO members Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway committed to supplying at least 90 aircraft after the White House signed off on the transfer of US-made F-16s. Denmark’s first Fighting Falcons arrived in early August.

That same month, F-16s were used to combat Russian drone and missile attacks against civilian population centers and critical infrastructure. Although the aircraft largely operated away from the front lines, one Fighting Falcon was lost in late August – likely due to pilot error.

The F-16, which originated in the United States Air Force’s Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program, has been produced in 138 different configurations, from the prototype to its latest production models. Successive changes have seen the addition of improved cockpit technologies, improved avionics, sensors and weapons – while great effort has been made to ensure the fighter is more reliable and easier to maintain and control.

The latest F-16s have increased range and payload, advanced infrared sensors and laser targeting devices, while also having improved survivability thanks to more advanced electronic warfare sensors and sophisticated decoys.

It should also be noted that the F-16 was designed to combat Soviet aircraft and, if Saturday’s incident is proven, it fulfilled the task.

More about the F-16 Fighting Falcon

To date, more than 4,600 aircraft have been built since the Fighting Falcon approved production in 1976 – and although it is no longer being acquired by the US Air Force, Lockheed Martin continues to build the F-16 for foreign customers around the world. .

It remains the most successful and combat-proven multi-role fighter jet ever produced.

Since it first entered service in 1979, the Fighting Falcon has participated in more than 400,000 combat missions and has more than 19 million combined flight hours. Additionally, the F-16 has been adapted to complete diverse missions, including air-to-air combat, ground attack and electronic warfare.

As a combat fighter, it has proven to be highly maneuverable, while its combat radius exceeds that of its potential threats.

Author experience and knowledge: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer living in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published over a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military equipment, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Pedro is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Settlement works. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: (email protected).

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