Shelby Wilder
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More than half of Ukraine's F-16s grounded by Belgian maintenance delays
A Wall Street Journal report says more than half of Ukraine's F-16 fighters are non-combat-ready because phased technical inspections carried out by Belgian contractor Sabena Aerospace Engineering under a U.S. contract are taking far longer than in the United States. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed to the Financial Times that roughly half the fleet is in long-term repair in Europe and said Ukraine wants to move most of that maintenance onto its own territory with Western support. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman publicly disputed the 'catastrophically low' readiness framing, saying turnaround times are actually shortening.
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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.
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Ukrainian F-16 pilots running out of air-to-air missiles, resorting to cannons against Russian targets
Ukrainian F-16 pilots are facing an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles during some daytime combat sorties, forcing them to rely on the aircraft's built-in 20mm cannons to engage Russian aerial targets. The commander of Ukraine's 107th Air Wing, known by the callsign "Phantom," confirmed the shortage publicly, warning that "any aircraft without armament is useless," and called for increased deliveries of air-to-air and Patriot interceptor missiles, as well as efforts to boost or localize production.