Ukraine expects deliveries of F-16 jets with 500-km-range missiles – Joint Forces commander
Photo: Photo: Command of the Joint Forces of Ukraine's armed forces
In the next military aid packages from Western allies, Ukraine expects to receive F-16 fighter jets and missiles with a range of 300-500 kilometers.
The Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, said in a statement that the supply would enable the armed forces to achieve even greater success on the battlefield and liberate new territory, Rubryka reports.
Commenting on international assistance, he said that during the first month of Russia's full-scale invasion of the Ukrainian territory, the anti-tank missile systems NLAW, JAVELIN, and portable air defense systems STINGER, STARSTREAK, and PIORUN provided by partner countries played a crucial role.
Mobile anti-tank fire groups from ambushes destroyed armored Russian columns and disrupted the logistics of their units. Portable air defense groups armed with anti-aircraft missile systems destroyed Russian aircraft and attack helicopters, eliminating airborne assaults.
"Thanks to the material and technical assistance from partner countries, the Armed Forces received Western artillery samples that surpass similar Russian artillery samples in tactical and technical characteristics. These include field howitzers M777A1 and FH70 and self-propelled artillery systems, like CAESAR, AHS Krab, PzH-2000, and M109, which, combined with counter-battery systems and reconnaissance UAVs, allowed the Defense Forces to neutralize the enemy's multiple advantages in artillery and disrupt the Russian tactic of 'firewall,'" the commander explained. "With the introduction of HIMARS rocket artillery systems in the summer of 2022, and later the MLRS M270, the enemy suffered even more significant losses in the logistical support of its front-line units and was forced to relocate its field depots and command posts over 100 kilometers away from the front line. This led to an increase in the logistical 'tail' for the supply of ammunition and material resources, complicating troop management, loss of offensive capabilities, and eventually forced the enemy to transition to forced defense and later to evacuation from Kherson from the right bank of the Dnipro River."
According to Naiev, during the rocket terror in the winter of 2022-2023, the NASAMS, IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense missile systems, and GEPARD self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems played a crucial role in neutralizing the missile threat and protecting Ukrainian critical infrastructure from drone strikes with the SHAHED-131/136, increasing the effectiveness of air defense to 75-80%. Today, the destruction rate of enemy air attack assets sometimes reaches 100%, Naiev noted.
With the introduction of the PATRIOT missile system into service in April 2023, Ukraine's missile defense shield was further strengthened by increasing the range of destruction of aerodynamic targets up to 150 km. Ukraine received reliable protection against enemy ballistic missiles such as Iskander and Kinzhal.
"Two samples of armament, which are our own developments and will enter the textbooks of military art. The first is unmanned maritime strike drones SEA BABY and others, the production and combat use of which forced the Russian Black Sea Fleet to forget about domination in the northwest part of the Black Sea and to involve significant forces and means to enhance the protection of its naval bases and the Crimean Bridge. The second is FPV drones, which are much cheaper but no less effective means of striking enemy equipment and manpower than anti-tank missile systems and artillery ammunition," Naiev said.
The commander previously showed a video of how several cruise missiles were destroyed during a Russian army missile strike in the northern part of Ukraine on the morning of January 23. One of them was shot down with a machine gun.
He also showed a video of how, on January 1, during a daytime drone attack, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed nine "Shahed" drones.
During a meeting with air defense personnel in Kyiv, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev stressed that GEPARD systems in the arsenal of mobile fire groups do not let any Russian drones pass.
Earlier, Naiev spoke about Western weapons that Ukraine uses to defeat the enemy: air defense systems, tanks, and artillery.
