Ukrainian F-16 pilot destroys 6 cruise missiles in historic single combat mission

Yurii Ihnat, head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, stated this.

“For the first time in the history of the Fighting Falcon, an F-16 fighter destroys six enemy cruise missiles in one combat mission,” Ihnat mentioned. 

He recalled that during the Russian attack on December 13, nearly 200 russian drones, Kh-47M2 Kinzhals, ballistic missiles, and 94 air, sea, and land-based cruise missiles were in the Ukrainian sky space. The F-16's primary role is to intercept cruise missiles.

The Ukrainian pilot, whose name is not disclosed, said the navigator directed him to a group of eight enemy cruise missiles.

“I approach to the appropriate distance, see obstacles, which means the missiles have their own electronic warfare - the so-called personal protective equipment. The F-16's sights are quite powerful, and if the target is already in the sights, it will not escape the onboard radar even under the influence of electronic warfare. I flew up to a convenient distance, reacquired the targets, launched the missiles alternately and... hit - both targets were destroyed,” the pilot said. 

The pilot then had to get within two miles of the enemy targets because the F-16 only had four air-to-air missiles: medium- and short-range. He launched the longer-range missiles first. He then attacked the second pair of missiles, taking them out in two shots, despite the electronic warfare interference. A new enemy target then appeared, heading toward Kyiv, and the F-16 had only its rapid-fire aircraft cannon left.

"I realized that the chances of hitting a missile flying at over 650 kilometers per hour were slim. First, you have to spot it in the sky, level it out at the right height, and fire from no more than 500 meters. Flying closer is extremely risky—if a 450 kg warhead detonates, there's a high chance the plane could fly into a cloud of debris. (...) At first, I was looking below, but saw nothing. Then I gained altitude, raised the radar, and spotted it. I did everything just like the instructors in the U.S. taught me, just like I practiced on the simulator. A few rounds from the cannon—and an explosion... then another! A second detonation... I thought, but as it turned out, according to objective control, there were actually two missiles," the military said.

He pointed out that in the United States, pilots were trained to shoot down air targets with an aircraft cannon only on simulators, and in real flights, Ukrainian F-16 pilots had never used the cannon against missiles.

• Group of Ukrainian aviators completed basic flight, ground, and language training in the UK before starting their F-16 multi-role fighter training.