Ukraine’s F-16 fleet is under growing pressure from several problems at once. A large share of the fighters has been sidelined for extended maintenance in Europe, while operational aircraft are running short of missiles. Military Watch Magazine (MWM) points to another major weakness: the jets supplied to Kiev are older variants that lag behind modern Russian fighters in capability.
In an interview with the Financial Times on October 2, Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged that roughly half of Ukraine’s F-16s have been kept outside the country for long periods while undergoing maintenance. He said the delays have deprived Ukraine of aircraft needed for air defense missions. Kiev would like some of this work to be moved directly to Ukrainian territory.
The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that more than half of the fleet was effectively unavailable because of maintenance. One Western source cited by the newspaper warned that, at the current pace of combat operations and repairs, Ukraine could run out of available F-16s by the end of the year.
The F-16 was originally designed as a relatively simple and inexpensive light fighter to operate. However, Ukraine received second-hand aircraft that have been in service since the early 1980s. Scheduled maintenance is required roughly every 300 flight hours and includes checks of the engine, avionics, hydraulic systems and fuel system.
Retired U. S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery told the WSJ that such inspections normally take between two and six weeks in the United States. In Belgium, the same process can reportedly take as long as 40 weeks.
Missile shortages have created another serious constraint. In early September, reports emerged that Ukrainian pilots were being forced to engage aerial targets with the aircraft’s onboard cannon because of a shortage of air-to-air missiles. That requires F-16 crews to close the distance to their targets, increasing the aircraft’s vulnerability to enemy fighters, surface-to-air missile systems and other air defense assets. At the same time, the jets are used mainly to intercept drones and cruise missiles.
MWM also notes that Ukraine’s aircraft fall well short of modern F-16 Block 70/72 fighters or older jets upgraded to the F-16V standard. The Ukrainian aircraft are equipped with outdated radars and avionics. Ukrainian officials have previously acknowledged that these F-16s are significantly inferior to Russia’s frontline fighters, including the Su-35.