F-16 fighters are involved in attacks on Russian military facilities

F-16 fighters are involved in attacks on Russian military facilities

Ukrainian drones deliver "gifts" to Russian territory, while they are covered by F-16 fighters and other aircraft, pilots reported. They claim to be capable of striking with exceptional precision, like a "scalpel."

F-16 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force are participating in special operations in which Ukrainian drones strike targets deep within Russian territory. Each strike is a combination of measures in which Western aircraft play a certain role. In particular, they destroy the enemy’s air defence systems, identifying a corridor through which, for example, "Liutyi" drones can pass.

The F-16 pilots discussed this in an interview on the air command’s YouTube channel, which was analyzed on the Defence Express portal.

The portal highlighted a fragment of the interview discussing Ukrainian long-range strikes. It stressed that these strikes involve not only targeting and launching but a whole complex of different measures. According to the pilot in the interview, during the attack, an entire group of fighters and bombers, including F-16s, is deployed in the sky. The aircraft perform various functions important for the successful flight of the drones. One of the functions is to suppress air defence systems to create a "corridor" for Ukrainian UAVs, explained a military officer.

"Somewhere there are F-16s, ’Mirages,’ which either cover the entire package sent to our adversaries or also strike. Currently, we can only strike in tactical depth, but the effectiveness of these strikes is very high. You could say it’s like a scalpel: very, very precise—if we want, our bomb can fly into someone’s window," the pilot explained his role.

During the operation to launch the drones, there are aircraft that deliver tactical strikes and repel the enemy, while others destroy air defences or conduct radar reconnaissance, added Defence Express. The video showing the work of the F-16s also displays drones with outlines similar to "Liutyi" drones. Footage from the Air Force allows for assessing the physical dimensions of the device delivering strikes deep in the rear areas of the Russian Armed Forces.