Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the new F-16 fighters have been involved in the defence against cruise missile/UAV defence.
The President did not give the number of cruise missiles shot down by the newly introduced Ex-Dutch and Ex-Danish F-16 AM/BM fighters, The Aviationist reports.
Ukrainian sources reported a mass-attack of cruise missiles, Iskander SRBMs, and Shaheed-136 kamikaze UAVs yesterday, and F-16s might have been part of the Ukrainian response to this attack. The second-hand fighters are known to be supplied with AIM-120B BVRAAMs and AIM-9L WVRAAMs. Both missiles can engage cruise missiles with proper target acquisition.
JHMCS helmets' target cueing capability might have been used to this end. Munitions and sensors (e.g. targeting pods) can be cued by moving the helmet towards the target without changing the aircraft's direction. Additionally, Ukraine's F-16s are modified with Terma's ECIPS pylon-jammer hybrid for increased self-defence capability. It is less likely that ECIPS's jammer would be used against cruise missiles due to the guidance not relying on radar.
Another instance of an F-16 being tested in a cruise missile defence role was when the fighter used an APKWS laser-guided rocket to shoot down a target drone simulating a cruise missile using a Sniper targeting pod. While the idea of using the laser-guided rocket normally intended for helicopters in cruise missile defence is seemingly frozen, today's conditions might make a change.
The U.S., already seeking cost-effective weapons for the Ukrainian Air Force, might revive the idea of giving Ukraine a new defensive missile much cheaper than AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles.
