Ukraine's F-16 squadron commander says pilots rationing air-to-air missiles, sometimes using cannons against Russian drones
The commander of a Ukrainian F-16 squadron, callsign Phantom, said in an interview with the American channel Newsmax that Ukraine is critically short of AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, forcing pilots to ration munitions and on some combat missions engage Russian aerial threats using only the F-16's built-in 20mm cannon. The interview fragment was distributed by the Ukrainian Air Force on September 16. Phantom also called for additional Patriot interceptor missiles and either faster deliveries or a license for Ukraine to produce the weapons.
Key points
- Ukrainian F-16 squadron commander Phantom said AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missile stocks are critically low.
- Pilots are rationing missiles and during some combat missions have relied on the F-16's built-in 20mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon to shoot down Russian aerial threats.
- Phantom also cited a shortage of Patriot surface-to-air missiles and called for more deliveries or a license for Ukraine to produce them.
- The statement was made in an interview with U.S. channel Newsmax; a fragment was published by the Ukrainian Air Force on September 16.
- Earlier War Zone and Newsmax reporting described the same shortage and the risks of using the cannon against small, slow aerial targets.
- In May 2025 the Ukrainian Air Force reported a case in which using the cannon against an aerial target led to the pilot having to eject.
- On September 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian F-16s had been used to repel Russian attacks by jet-powered drones, with AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles used despite their cost.
Why it matters
The statement is an authoritative on-the-record confirmation, from the commander of Ukraine's F-16 squadron, of a munitions shortage that until now had been reported mainly by outside outlets. Relying on the F-16's 20mm cannon against Russian aerial targets — including small, slow drones, sometimes at night — is a high-risk fallback that has already led to incidents in which pilots had to eject. The shortage extends beyond F-16 air-to-air munitions to Patriot interceptors, indicating broader strain on Ukraine's air-defense and air-to-air kill chains. By publicly asking Western partners either to accelerate deliveries or to grant Ukraine a license to produce the missiles, the commander is putting the issue directly on the agenda of allied discussions.
What happened
The commander of a Ukrainian F-16 squadron, using the callsign Phantom, gave an interview to the American television channel Newsmax in which he confirmed that Ukraine is critically short of air-to-air missiles for its F-16 fighters. He specified AIM-9 and AIM-120 munitions and said the shortage is severe enough that pilots are rationing missiles. During some combat missions, Phantom said, Ukrainian F-16 pilots have had to engage Russian aerial threats using only the F-16's standard 20mm six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan cannon. He also flagged a shortage of Patriot surface-to-air missiles and called for either increased supplies of both types of missile or a license for Ukraine to produce them, arguing that a plane without armaments is a tool that makes no sense. The Ukrainian Air Force distributed a fragment of the Newsmax interview on September 16.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All three supplied sources are Ukrainian-language media outlets. Their coverage centers on the operational consequences for Ukrainian pilots, foregrounds the callsign Phantom and the Air Force's distribution of the Newsmax interview, and uses the commander's own phrasing to press for deliveries or licensed production of air-to-air and Patriot missiles.
How international sources describe it
International framing in the supplied material is limited to the Newsmax interview itself and earlier War Zone reporting. Both emphasize the operational workaround of using the F-16's cannon and the additional risks involved, particularly against small and slow aerial targets and at night.
Background
The F-16 is fitted as standard with a 20mm six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan cannon. The specialized outlet War Zone had previously reported on the shortage of air-to-air missiles for Ukrainian F-16s and their reliance on onboard cannons in such conditions. On September 3, a Newsmax journalist cited a senior Ukrainian Air Force officer as saying pilots were using only their guns on some daytime sorties and that personnel were counting the hours and minutes until new missile shipments crossed the border. On September 14, during a visit to Canada, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian F-16s had been used to repel Russian attacks by jet-powered drones, noting that AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles are expensive but sometimes the only means to down such drones.