Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy acknowledged that F-16 fighter jets are being operated intensively under harsh conditions, making maintenance challenging. However, he denied claims that the aircraft's combat readiness had dropped to a critical level.
“Some components for the early F-16 variants are no longer manufactured and are becoming increasingly difficult to source,” Tykhy wrote on X on October 2nd. However, he asserted that recent reports about low aircraft readiness rates and unusually long maintenance times are completely false.
According to him, allies are now delivering overhauled aircraft faster than before. Ukraine is confident that its industrial partners will continue to improve maintenance procedures to maintain a high level of readiness for F-16 fighter jets during the winter.
Sabena Engineering, the Belgian company involved in maintaining F-16s for Ukraine, also denied reports of serious delays, stating that it is coordinating with partners to get the aircraft back into service as quickly as possible.
Controversy over the status of F-16s
Previously, US media, citing informed sources, reported that the Ukrainian F-16 squadron was facing a "maintenance crisis" due to high-intensity operations amid ongoing Russian attacks.
According to this source, more than half of the F-16s are awaiting repair and are unavailable for combat missions. Ukraine has not disclosed the size of its fleet, but several sources suggest it has received around 40-50 aircraft.
The EurAsian Times previously estimated that Ukraine may have fewer than 20, or even as few as 15, F-16s in airworthy condition.
F-16 fighter jets require routine inspections after every 300 flight hours, including engines, electronics, hydraulics, and fuel. This process typically takes two to six weeks in the US, but maintenance in Belgium is said to be significantly longer. An inspection there can take up to 40 weeks.
The extended timeframe is believed to stem from waiting for spare parts, discovering additional damage, or gaps in the maintenance schedule. High combat intensity also causes aircraft to accumulate flight hours quickly, increasing the need for inspections and repairs.
The F-16 plays a crucial role in air defense.
The readiness of F-16 fighter jets is particularly important for Ukraine as Russia increases its use of UAVs and missiles in attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that F-16 pilots intercepted more than 3,150 airborne targets, including 666 cruise missiles and approximately 2,500 UAVs. The aircraft were equipped with air-to-air missiles, cannons, and APKWS II missiles, which are particularly useful in countering unidirectional attack UAVs.
According to figures cited by the US media, Russia launched nearly 2,000 jet drones in September, a sharp increase from around 350 in June. Ukraine's interception rate of these drones was only about 55%, significantly lower than the over 90% achieved by the propeller-driven Shahed models.
Besides maintenance issues, Ukraine is also facing a missile shortage. Officials warn that supplies of AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles for the F-16s are running low, while PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the Patriot system are also in serious short supply.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has warned that F-16s without missiles would become a tool with limited combat effectiveness. In some missions, when air-to-air missiles are scarce, pilots have to use the aircraft's cannons to destroy targets.
Ukraine seeks to strengthen its air force.
Kyiv is seeking to reduce its reliance on foreign maintenance facilities by expanding domestic repair capabilities. The Ukrainian defense industry has been discussing with Lockheed Martin the possibility of partially localizing F-16 maintenance.
Ukraine could also take advantage of maintenance facilities in Romania and Poland to shorten the aircraft transport time.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Anatoliy Kryvonozhko recently met with representatives from Lockheed Martin to discuss upgrading the combat capabilities of existing F-16s and the possibility of transitioning to the F-16 Block 70/72 variant.
In the short term, Kyiv continues to push its allies to deliver more aircraft. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Belgium would transfer three F-16s to Ukraine before the end of this year.
In addition to F-16s, Ukraine is operating several French-supplied Mirage 2000s, along with Su-27s and MiG-29s. The country also signed an agreement with Sweden in June for 16 Gripen C/Ds, but these aircraft are not expected to begin delivery until 2027.
While Ukraine denies reports that more than half of its F-16 fleet has been decommissioned, it acknowledges difficulties with maintenance and spare parts. With the increasing need for F-16s to counter Russian air attacks, maintaining a combat-ready aircraft count will continue to be a critical issue for Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/ukraine-phu-nhan-bao-cao-ve-ty-le-tiem-kich-f-16-ngung-hoat-dong-post1391134.html
