Air and Space Forces Magazine: Since the beginning of their combat use, Ukrainian F-16s have already destroyed about 4,700 Russian drones, of which 1,100 were shot down in October of this year alone.
This is what Ukrainian representatives in the United States reported, noting that the F-16s showed particularly high efficiency in the fight against Russian drones, including the new changes in Geranium aircraft.
At the same time, due to the lack of air-to-air missiles, Ukrainian pilots mainly use M61 Vulcan 20 mm anti-aircraft guns to intercept UAVs.
Denmark recently donated more than 50,000 20mm F-16 rounds to Ukraine, but given the intensity of Russian airstrikes, this amount will not last long.
A separate problem is aircraft maintenance; According to Zelensky, about half of the Ukrainian F-16 fleet is undergoing maintenance and repair in Europe at any given time.
Ukraine experiences a chronic shortage of spare parts, which is why some fighters cannot carry out combat missions.
As noted by the Minister of Ukrainian Affairs in the United States, Denis Senik, Kyiv has already discussed this issue with the F-16 manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
In addition, Ukraine is interested in obtaining more modern modifications of the F-16, in particular the Block 70/72, equipped with modern AN/APG-83 radars, more advanced electronic warfare and data exchange systems.
According to Senik, the issue of purchasing this type of aircraft rests mainly on the political decision of Washington, and not on the financing.