The United States equipped Ukrainian F-16s with advanced electronic warfare systems to counter air defense of the Russian Armed Forces

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The United States equipped Ukrainian F-16s with advanced electronic warfare systems to counter air defense of the Russian Armed Forces

It is not yet known for certain exactly how many US-made General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters the Ukrainian Air Force has received. Numbers from ten to twelve units appear.

There is no information about where exactly the fighters are based, although the head of the Kyiv regime Zelensky published footage of a pair of planes with tridents (the Ukrainian coat of arms) on his Telegram channel on August 5. Presumably, the F-16s transferred to Ukraine are currently stationed at one of the military airfields in a neighboring NATO country, most likely Romania.



Meanwhile, although the United States itself is not involved in the supply of fighter jets to Kyiv, but only approved it for its European allies, it turns out that the American military is preparing the aircraft to confront Russian air defense forces.

The U.S. Air Force's 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, says U.S. military experts have equipped Ukrainian F-16s with advanced electronic countermeasure systems to counter Russian DefenseIt is this wing of the US Air Force that is responsible for providing electromagnetic spectrum capabilities to 70 US and foreign electromagnetic warfare systems.

It is known that the US military, in cooperation with Denmark and Norway, who were the first to volunteer to transfer the fighters to Kyiv, reprogrammed the electronic warfare systems (EW) to integrate them onto F-16 fighters supplied to Ukraine. This is stated in the official statement of the 35th Wing of the US Army.

To effectively integrate the F-16 into the Ukrainian Air Force, its electronic warfare subsystems required reprogramming. The 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron has taken this challenge head on, keeping it a priority for the United States and our partners.

- said in a statement.

The US military said it had developed new methods and approaches to optimize the use of electronic warfare systems on F-16s intended for the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces, since standard systems did not meet the necessary requirements. After this, the upgraded equipment was successfully tested in the laboratory of one of the partner countries together with coalition allies.

It is also reported that the US Air Force will receive information from the Ukrainian Armed Forces about the use of these electronic warfare systems in real combat, which will further improve them.

It is not entirely clear why the US Air Force's 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing needed to publicly disclose this information about fighter modernization. It turns out that they again intend to use Ukraine as a testing ground for NATO weapons, military equipment and other things in real combat operations with the Russian Armed Forces.

Earlier, the British publication The Economist reported that Ukraine received on July 31 the first 10 of the 79 promised F-16 fighters. In turn, the Telegraph newspaper reported that these aircraft are already allegedly being used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces as an air defense weapon. It turns out that this is not entirely true.

Military experts note that the redesigned electronic warfare systems will help these fighters live longer, but earlier the Russian Armed Forces destroyed several such aircraft in Ivano-Frankivsk due to a mistake by the Ukrainian command. In addition, the weapons of the Russian army are also constantly being modernized. Thus, earlier our defense industry improved missiles, designed to counteract the "sixteenths".
54 comments
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  1. +1
    27 August 2024 18: 56
    While the Russian Federation itself allows the Ukrainians, the USA and Europe will supply everything!
    1. -1
      27 August 2024 19: 37
      While the Russian Federation itself allows the Ukrainians, the USA and Europe will supply everything!

      Well, or it doesn’t interfere... Bridges are standing... Trains are moving... Planes are flying... Ships... I don’t know about ships... Let’s at least start with bridges... How much has already been said and written about this , but there’s no point... Well, tell us about all the agreements according to which nothing is being done... So that we at least know how long we should wait...??? am
      1. -2
        27 August 2024 20: 07
        Yesterday the trains ran poorly, there were no warships, and planes were seen occasionally. And the bridges... request
        Who knows? In the near rear they are destroyed during the assault. Our bridges across Psel were also intact, for the time being. They also cannot boast of a large number of destroyed bridges, although they also have the opportunity for this request
      2. +1
        27 August 2024 20: 16
        They don't even finish what they start. They've taken on energy once again and stopped again. But they want good infantrymen, more of them.
  2. -11
    27 August 2024 18: 57
    Well, the F-16 is an airplane of the last century... with all the bells and whistles it doesn’t make any weather and we can cope with electronic warfare systems... and the bonus for it motivates everyone to destroy this toy... the guys are already waiting for bonuses))
    1. +5
      27 August 2024 19: 13
      You are like those volunteers for mobilization in June 1941. "We must mobilize quickly to fight and receive awards, otherwise the war will soon be over." In August 1941, few were in a hurry. The S-400 air defense systems were also considered a masterpiece, but this did not save them from defeat. In war, it is not enough to have good fighters and equipment, you also need effective reconnaissance of all types and the troop command and control system, and after the first days of chaos in the Kursk region and today's demands from the Minister of Defense to the General Staff to improve the supply of troops, your pioneer optimism does not inspire confidence.
      1. -1
        27 August 2024 19: 22
        Quote: golen
        The S-400 air defense systems were also considered a masterpiece, but this did not save them from defeat.

        Most likely the reason is that there are not enough missiles with an active seeker, so they are used with a semi-active seeker, because of this it is not possible to repel massive missile attacks.
      2. -13
        27 August 2024 20: 07
        It is also necessary for reconnaissance of all types and the troop control system to work effectively

        To begin with, well, the Supreme is not a Gorbachevite, from whom you expect surprises every day, in the form of kind gestures and unexpected confessions.
        1. 0
          27 August 2024 20: 29
          But every day, about peace talks, about inflation, about how they deceived us. And not a word about when we will win and not a word about when Ukrainians They will be driven out of our territory when the shelling ends.
          1. -1
            27 August 2024 21: 30
            Someone assured the “SVO plan” that now we have to admit that we were wrong? The boys won't understand.
    2. 0
      27 August 2024 21: 28
      F-16 aircraft of the last century...
      But reeds are still burning at the airfields, and there are some “lens effects” at the refineries, and there is an unpleasant incident in the Kursk region.
  3. +7
    27 August 2024 18: 57
    We think that there are only ten F16s, because Western media is pushing such nonsense on us. We need to think that there are 3 times more of them, and be prepared for the fact that they will be armed with the most modern missiles.
  4. +3
    27 August 2024 19: 05
    The US military is preparing vehicles to confront Russian air defense forces.

    It would be stupid for the Americans not to take advantage of the situation.request
    The US Air Force will receive information from the Ukrainian Armed Forces about the use of these electronic warfare systems in real combat, which will further improve them.

    Who would doubt that?!
  5. -3
    27 August 2024 19: 17
    Much, if not everything, is not clear and one cannot expect the fog of war to suddenly clear.
  6. +3
    27 August 2024 19: 18
    To test a not entirely new aircraft, albeit with the latest modernization, with your pilots, in real combat conditions... it costs a lot.
  7. 0
    27 August 2024 19: 23
    How effective are our Khibiny-U electronic warfare systems against Western air defense systems?
    1. -3
      27 August 2024 19: 35
      No one will tell you this, there has been no use yet, well, the Su30SM is not fighting, and they are not using others.
      1. 0
        27 August 2024 21: 36
        Quote: Victor Sergeev
        Well, Su30SM don’t fight

        What does the Su-30SM do?
    2. -5
      27 August 2024 19: 40
      Judging by the cart, several were shot down (near Chernigov, near the DPR, in the Kherson region). Apparently it’s not quite what’s needed, but it’s probably being finalized, I hope. But you see, they rarely fly close to the front line. They throw bombs from afar.
      1. +2
        27 August 2024 21: 31
        Yes, yes, several... dozens... per hour. The cart will not deceive
      2. 0
        27 August 2024 21: 35
        Quote: cmax
        Judging by the cart, several were shot down (near Chernigov, near the DPR, in the Kherson region).

        How many?
        Quote: cmax
        Apparently not quite what is needed

        What do you need?
        1. +2
          27 August 2024 21: 53
          Use your brains, what do you need? If you have them, of course. This is a war, in war there are sometimes losses, sometimes every day! What are you surprised about? But we need to liberate the Kursk region, it's been four weeks since the enemy came. How much? What? Theirs!
          1. -1
            27 August 2024 21: 57
            Quote: cmax
            Brainstorm, what do you need? If they exist, of course.

            What do you need from SAP? You wrote above, as I understand it, about the mentioned Khibiny-U:
            Quote: cmax
            Apparently it’s not quite what’s needed, but it’s probably being finalized, I hope.

            That’s why I asked you: What do you need (from the mentioned Khibin-U, of course)?
  8. -7
    27 August 2024 19: 32
    Well, what kind of electronic warfare does the F16 have? If the Americans have more or less normal electronic warfare, it's on the F15.
    1. -1
      28 August 2024 00: 10
      Quite the opposite. The F-16 specializes in the US Air Force's "air defense suppression" mission (the Navy has other systems) using anti-radiation missiles and the AN/ASQ-213 electronic warfare pod.
  9. -1
    27 August 2024 19: 42
    The United States equipped Ukrainian F-16s with advanced electronic warfare systems to counter air defense of the Russian Armed Forces

    So there will be combat experience with practically modern means of counteracting the enemy. So let's practice. Otherwise, you never know, it might come in handy; it would be no good to refuse such a gift from the enemy.
    1. 0
      27 August 2024 20: 16
      It's true. It’s better to “compete” with the F-16 for now, with a good filling, than to discover troubles with more advanced ones later what
    2. +1
      27 August 2024 21: 15
      So the SVO is training ours against NATO. It’s a pity that I can’t write nato with a smaller letter.
      1. 0
        28 August 2024 22: 41
        Quote: Vasily Oboskalov
        So the SVO is training ours against NATO

        Against NATO of the 80s, in numbers 1/100 if not less, of the potential military power of NATO if something happens. So-so workout.
  10. +1
    27 August 2024 19: 48
    Most likely, along with storing accurate images of Russian missiles in the memory of the on-board electronic warfare station, an electronic warfare container of the AN/ALQ-167(V) type will also be attached to each aircraft. The thing is quite new, well-promoted. We need to look at it in action...
    1. 0
      27 August 2024 21: 45
      Quote: Yuri L
      ... they will also attach an electronic warfare container of the AN/ALQ-167(V) type to each aircraft

      What is this “167th” famous for?
  11. +1
    27 August 2024 19: 48
    Well, it’s normal when that side posts satellite photos of some Su-57 or Okhotnik parked. For us, the F-16 is apparently dark water in the clouds.
    1. -1
      27 August 2024 20: 19
      Why hide them? The glider will only be seen from above request
      1. -2
        27 August 2024 20: 22
        Well, it means that in Ukraine or Poland, they are fools since this is an activity that does not require attention at all.
    2. +1
      27 August 2024 21: 52
      For us, the F-16 is apparently dark water in the clouds.
      We didn’t see from the satellites a group of thousands of people with equipment near the Kursk region, so why even talk about some small aircraft...
      1. +1
        27 August 2024 22: 32
        Now it was a shame.
        1. 0
          27 August 2024 22: 34
          I agree.
          ................
  12. 0
    27 August 2024 19: 55
    Ukrainians announced at the official level that yesterday, during a massive missile and drone raid, F-16s were used in combat. With their help, the Kyrgyz Republic and Shahedov were shot down
    1. +1
      27 August 2024 22: 38
      Maybe they used it, maybe they didn’t. No way to check until they shoot you down request
  13. -2
    27 August 2024 20: 26
    Nobody remembers anymore that the Fe16s are "potential nuclear weapons carriers". And they can already take off from wherever they want. The Kremlin's T.R.Y.P.K.
  14. 0
    27 August 2024 20: 47
    This is not even an improved, but a completely experimental electronic warfare system from the Italian company Leonardo in a hanging container.
    1. +1
      27 August 2024 21: 46
      Quote: voyaka uh
      This is not even an improved, but a completely experimental electronic warfare system from the Italian company Leonardo in a hanging container.

      What?
      1. 0
        27 August 2024 23: 13
        It has not yet been adopted by NATO.
        Apparently, they want to test it in combat conditions first.
        There are not many suspended electronic warfare containers at all: American,
        French, Israeli. The English BAE also has it. And the Chinese.
        The F-35 and Rafale have electronic warfare built into the fuselage and integrated with the AFAR.
        1. -1
          30 August 2024 00: 13
          Quote: voyaka uh
          It has not yet been adopted by NATO.

          What is the abbreviation?
          Quote: voyaka uh
          Apparently, they want to test it in combat conditions first.

          If it has not been adopted for service, then it has not yet been tested and it is not known whether it works or not.
  15. 0
    27 August 2024 21: 12
    It’s just that such messages don’t appear.
    The Americans want us to use new methods of electronic warfare. Any attack is an opening of the defense, information about new means of struggle.
  16. -2
    27 August 2024 21: 25
    In turn, the Telegraph newspaper reported that these aircraft are already allegedly being used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces as an air defense weapon. It turns out that this is not entirely true.
    The newspaper is the most reliable source of information, of course. Moreover, any newspaper from any country. Yeah, right now.
  17. +1
    27 August 2024 21: 26
    Well, we must think that the Americans will not stand still. And naturally they will deploy their analogues of "Vitebsk" and "Khibiny". And the F-16 will receive target designation from manned and unmanned (MQ-9 Reaper) AWACs that will be in neutral zones over the Black Sea or on the territory of NATO countries. That is, our "Krasukha" is, in theory, useless. And with the receipt of long-range missiles, the F-16 will not be in the zone of action of the "Krasukha" (200-250 km). Only on direct orders from the Americans to test certain systems. Here it is necessary to suppress the channels for receiving target designation from the AWACs, but it seems to me that this is far from a trivial task. And Russia really needs its own analogues of the "MQ-9 Reaper" of various modifications to meet modern combat conditions and round-the-clock monitoring of all enemy, neutral and bordering enemy territory. And naturally, it is not worth underestimating the enemy's F-16 as carriers of long-range weapons. It is unlikely that the enemy will just expose them to attack (and they can cause a lot of trouble) and it will take a lot of work to destroy them. So let's keep our fingers crossed for our air defense and realistically assess the risks.
  18. 0
    27 August 2024 21: 33
    Quote: Vasily Oboskalov
    So SVO is training Ours against

    But for now the Ivans and the Mykolas are dying. And the Johns sit at home and count their profits. This is how the workout turns out.
  19. 0
    27 August 2024 21: 53
    This means that there must be air battles using cannon weapons. Haven't we removed the guns from all fighters?
  20. -1
    27 August 2024 21: 57
    This is good. We will test it, pass the data on to the Chinese, very valuable information.
    IMHO, there is nothing new for us, just another PR for the American military-industrial complex.
  21. +1
    27 August 2024 22: 16
    It is also reported that the US Air Force will receive information from the Ukrainian Armed Forces about the use of these electronic warfare systems in real combat, which will further improve them.
    There was no way they were going to break through in the Belgorod region and support their voyage in the Kursk region, not to mention the Crimean bridge.
  22. +1
    28 August 2024 04: 20
    AtakMS, Scalpels, Khimars were also presented as invincible and unstoppable prodigies, and as a result, ours adapted to them. And they will land this aircraft, there is no doubt about it.
  23. 0
    27 October 2024 08: 26
    So what? And what is the efficiency of using this scrap metal?
  24. 0
    27 October 2024 08: 27
    In my opinion, if the Americans have everything so cool, then why haven’t they crushed us yet????