Since the beginning of the Ukraine Russian War Putin’s forces have enjoyed virtual air superiority having more fighters, greater range, and more modern aircraft. This forced Ukraine’s airpower to remain defensive. Relying upon throwaways from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union inventory, Ukraine relied upon aging M-29 Fulcrums, SU-27’s, SU-25’s, and SU-24’s, all of these being primarily defensive interceptors, but no match for the newer generations of Russian fighters. Therefore engagements were few and advantageous for the Russians, but the tables have turned!

Having received 380 billion dollars’ worth of various support from NATO alliance countries, a stifling effect has been visited upon a Russian forward advancing ground offensive that cannot gain more territory as Ukrainian forces manage to recover lost real estate captured previously by the Russians. Until now, Ukraine fought back against Russian air power with effective ground radar guided surface to air missiles and foot soldier operated “Stinger” missiles which have caused enough losses against Russian air combat numbers that Ukraine has been able to hold its own in a defensive posture.

Although Russia has a huge advantage in conventional medium range missiles that Putin and his strategists have used to destroy apartment complexes, power stations, and mass transportation centers killing innocent civilians, Ukraine has revolutionized modern warfare using donated drone strike unmanned hardware that is hard to detect and stop and with that also comes unmanned reconnaissance drones that help coordinate attacks by locating precise targeting accuracy! As a result Russia has been badly hurt with oil refinery destruction, strategic air bases damaged, bridges collapsed that have stifled the Russian troop advances as Ukrainian drones have had devastating successes on Russian convoys! Worst yet are the shocks suffered by the Russian people who have almost no petrol for their cars, drones are also hitting office buildings and high rise living quarters that have made Russian civilians anxious and uncertain of where the next drone hits!

Deep into Moscow and the Kremlin, drone strikes have shattered the sense of invulnerability once enjoyed by the citizens who now fear for their lives! No internet for the last year, sanctions have limited grocery and retail availability, and gas lines go on for miles with no guarantee that everyone will even get a fill-up by the time it’s their turn at the pumps. The people who had little concern when the war was not at their doorstep as Ukraine was being devastated by Russian missile attacks, have now experienced the fear and anxiety of not knowing when or where to expect the next explosion and loss of more public services! What goes around comes around!

The F-16 pilot flying an older version not like the Block 70 up graded F-16’s being sent by the US to Taiwan who possess advanced radar, is flying low and in the distant vicinity of a Russian SU-35, a top of the line air to air offensive fighter flying at 20 thousand feet and 107 kilometers away in search mode. Luckily for the F-16 Ukrainian pilot he is low enough against a backdrop of ground clutter, valleys and ridges that the Russian has not detected him yet. The F-16 has its radar switched off and is being guided by Ukrainian ground radar. He is being vectored to the target without switching on his search radar and missile engagement. A chess game will now ensue as both pilots approach one another at 2,000 Kilometers of combined speed. The Russian has the higher altitude extending his radar range and energy while the F-16 is still hugging the ground clutter. Then he is instructed to climb to a higher altitude in a steep high G ascent before arming his radar and going into weapons mode

The Russian now sees the blip on his scanning radar and fires an air to air heat seeking missile while the F-16 continues to close the gap solidifying its radar tracking missile lock solution! The natural reaction of a pilot to evade the enemy missile must be ignored until he can fire his own weapon! Finally the radar seeking missile is pickled off the rails and, guided by the F-16 radar,  and begins to track and pursue its Russian adversary! Immediately, the Ukrainian pilot makes a high G turn and releases chaff (metallic false target counter measures) to try and throw off the Russian missile! However, it is a sophisticated generation type that distinguishes between chaff and the Ukrainian F-16. However, each time a missile must take a wide change in course trajectory to compensate for an evasive maneuver, speed is lost and remaining time before using up fuel occurs!

The Russian pilot is confident in his ability to evade the Ukrainian radar homing missile but ground defense makes sure the missile remains on target and soon the missile itself will take over from remote guidance and become even more lethal in its pursuit of the enemy aircraft! The Russian pilot puts his SU-35 through its paces to out maneuver the trailing radar seeking missile that is locked onto the Russian using his active radar to home in and strike the Russian warplane! Meanwhile the Ukrainian pilot is on the defensive but with the help of ground guidance, is getting real time flight data on the trailing Russian missile! The chess game between two opposing pilots is nearing a critical stage, but the first to go will be the Russian as the Ukrainian missile launched does not travel up the tail pipe of the SU-35 but explodes alongside right side of the Russian jet’s fuselage, tearing off the wing and causing massive hydraulic and system’s failure forcing the Russian to eject before he plunges to the earth below with his flaming aircraft!

The Ukrainian pilot in his F-16 is now making turns and diving to treetop level to confuse the approaching Russian missile! Finally, the trailing enemy missile loses its lock on of the F-16 confused by ground clutter and dives into the ground with a fiery crash! The Ukrainian pilot is informed by ground intercept radar operators that the missile has been defeated and he can take a safe corridor home! Still Russians react, sending more aircraft up to avenge their loss while also deploying a helicopter to retrieve their downed pilot before he is captured by the Ukrainian ground troops! The F-16 pilot returns home safe and sound to a friendly runway and the Russians are left confused and groping for answers on the unlikely defeat of their top of the line fighter.

An aging F-16 has proven to be more than a match for the newer generation SU-35. Putin had scoffed at NATO donated F-16’s as being too obsolete to challenge current Russian warplanes but determined Ukrainian tactics proved him wrong. Previously, F-16’s had been extremely effective at ground attack on Russian tanks, artillery, and infantry, but this was the first air to air victory of the NATO F-16’s sent to Ukraine to stave off Russian aggression!

Contributing Countries and Pledged Amounts

• The Netherlands: Pledged its entire fleet of 42 F-16 aircraft.
• Belgium: Pledged 28 aircraft to be delivered by 2028.
• Denmark: Pledged 19 aircraft from its active and retired inventory.
• Norway: Pledged 6 retired F-16 jets. [1, 2] courtesy AP