Ukraine Receives First F-16 Fighter Jets After Long Wait

“The aircraft’s first role will likely be supporting air defense by intercepting cruise missiles. Given Russia’s low monthly capacity for missile strikes on Ukraine, only a few F-16s are necessary to intercept cruise missiles that enter Ukrainian airspace—providing needed relief to Ukraine’s overtaxed SAMs. Some commentators have highlighted the F-16’s ability to deploy cruise missiles and other munitions for strikes and interdiction such as the Storm Shadow missiles. However, those weapons are scarce, and F-16s provide only limited additional capacity unless Ukraine receives a large influx of air-to-ground munitions”, Michael Bohnert, a licensed engineer at the RAND Corporation.