F-16 instead of expensive missiles: Chernik assessed the capabilities of aircraft in the fight against Shaheeds

The Wall Street Journal stated that Russia plans to produce 6 thousand Shahed attack drones per year. It is not yet known whether this is true, since the Russians cannot produce anything themselves due to sanctions. However, despite the fact that they can earn this capacity, F-16 aircraft will be able to effectively overcome the drone problem.

Military expert, reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petr Chernik told 24 Channel that perhaps the best missiles have been manufactured for F-16 fighters – AIM-9 Sidewinder, capable of causing destruction up to 20 kilometers. More than 200,000 of these missiles were produced, and this is the most productive close-in missile, which is already capable of shooting down more than 260 targets, including unmanned systems.

Even 3 – 4 F-16 fighters, scrambled during the Shahed attack on Ukraine, can cover the attack without the use of expensive missiles installed on ground systems that the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently use.

In one run – minus 10 drones

Petr Chernik noted that there is another type of weapon – M61 A1 – a high-speed, rotary, six-barreled 20-mm cannon, which has more than 500 rounds of ammunition, each designed for a burst of 10 rounds .

“The computer itself calculates the target and sets the aiming point. Everything is automated, synchronized, the pilot only needs to press the trigger – and this gun can easily be done in one go can destroy at least 10 drones,” said the military expert.

No independent production

As for the launch of Shahed production, which the Russians want to increase to 6 thousand per year, the only option to prevent this is to launch a large massive swarm of Ukrainian drones that will fly to the factories and begin to destroy them in such numbers that they do not have time to increase production. However, Ukraine does not yet have such potential.

We have brilliant results in the Russian oil refining industry: we have secured up to 15 % of their factories. Now there is good news that we managed to hit serious radar stations for over-the-horizon missile attack detection. But this is not enough yet,” emphasized Pyotr Chernik.

In his opinion, the Russians are unlikely to achieve high production rates for “Shaheds”, because they have There is still no self-produced line. So, they make the body for the Shahed themselves, they can rivet it from duralumin.

However, the occupiers cannot saturate it, from the two-stroke engine to microelectronics. Even their markings are distorted from the Chinese ones. a simple machine like the Shahed-136 could already be produced in such quantities. However, even with the most massive attack by these drones in March 2024, they fired only a little more than 600 units, noted a reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

When F-16 aircraft will be transferred to Ukraine

• Belgium announced that it will provide Ukraine with 30 F fighters -16 until 2028. The first planes should arrive before the end of this year. The Belgian Ministry of Defense also plans to provide Ukraine with ammunition from its warehouses to arm the F-16.
• The Netherlands promised to provide Ukraine with at least 24 aircraft. Our pilots have spent a long time learning to maintain all the critical systems and parts that an F-16 pilot uses during missions. It is known that Ukrainians already know how to maintain helmets, oxygen systems and parachutes. The Netherlands will transfer the aircraft to Ukraine as soon as they switch to F-35 fighters. This could happen as early as this fall.
• Denmark will also transfer 19 aircraft to Ukraine. The Prime Minister of Denmark said that “F-16s will be in the skies over Ukraine within months.”
• In the meantime, Ukrainian pilots received the first full-fledged F-simulator from the Czech Republic. 16, which allows you to simulate events occurring in the airspace. Our specialists are already testing and preparing the main module for operation.