Dutch F-16 with USA precision Bombs





Ukraine is no longer using F-16s just for defense, but also to bomb Russians

Ukraine is using F-16s from the Netherlands and Denmark to destroy Russian targets on the ground. This has been confirmed by the Ukrainian air force. Until recently, the fighter jets were only used to defend the airspace against drones and missiles.

March 28, 2025, 05:00

A month ago, a video surfaced of an F-16 on a combat mission. The aircraft was armed with eight American precision bombs. This fueled speculation that the Ukrainians had started shooting at the Russian invasion army. However, the air force did not confirm the significant expansion of the role of the F-16s at the time. The F-16 is the world's most successful fighter jet.

This week, confirmation came from the Ukrainian air force, but not very explicitly. In a video published by the air force on Wednesday, featuring the first interview with an F-16 pilot, it is acknowledged that the F-16s have begun ground attacks. ‘Fighter pilots flying Western fighter jets are showing excellent results against both air and ground targets,’ the air force said.

There is also footage of bombing buildings. ‘The effectiveness of these attacks is very high,’ the anonymous F-16 pilot said. ‘If we wanted to, our bomb could fly in through someone’s window.’

Precision weapons

According to the air force, the Russians are being attacked with the GBU-39, an American ‘glider bomb’ weighing 110 kilos that can destroy targets up to a hundred kilometres away after launch. The Jdam-ER is also being used, a ‘dumb’ bomb that has been given an ‘electronic jacket’. This has made it a precision weapon. This American bomb has a range of 72 kilometres and flies to its target via GPS.

There is a good chance that the bombs used by Ukraine were supplied by the Netherlands, which gave Ukraine 24 F-16s. Last year, the government decided to arm the F-16s for Ukraine with bombs for ground attacks and missiles for 450 million euros. The missiles are intended for air combat. They can also shoot down Russian cruise missiles.

The ammunition was ordered from the US at the time. ‘The Ukrainians should not only be able to fly the F-16s’, said Minister of Defence Ruben Breukelmans. ‘They must also be able to deploy the aircraft. Armament is therefore crucial.’

Cruise missiles In the video, the F-16 pilot says that he and his colleagues carry out various ground attacks every day. It is unclear which targets they choose along the 1,200 kilometre long front. The F-16s are also used to protect outdated Ukrainian fighter planes of Russian make, such as the MiG-29.

The fighter pilot praises the F-16 and the Western precision weapons that have been delivered. ‘Almost every missile hits its target,’ he says. ‘More than 80 percent of the missiles we fire hit their target, destroying both Shahed drones and cruise missiles fired from the sea, in the air and on land.’

The Ukrainian air force does not want to say how many F-16s are currently operational. Last month, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov did say that most of Denmark’s F-16s have already been delivered. The Danes have promised at least 19 aircraft. He also said that the air force had once again received a number of Dutch F-16s.

Destroying air bases Russia has so far failed to take out the air bases from which the F-16s operate. This is despite the satellites that Russia has to track F-16s and hypersonic weapons, such as the Kinzhal. These missiles can destroy a target thousands of miles away in a flash.

Last week, the Ukrainian Air Force urged citizens not to post images of F-16s and other aircraft on social media, saying it would help the Russians. “Any information about the location of our bases, flight paths or maneuvers can be used by the enemy,” the air force said. “Video footage of military flights in combat zones, especially those of F-16s that contain geolocation data, recognizable landmarks or other identifiable objects, poses a serious risk.”

Last month, Ukraine also received a number of French Mirage-2000s to bolster its air force. These fighter jets have been modified to also carry out ground attacks. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that Kyiv would be receiving more Mirages





Questa mattina mi sono alzato
o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
questa mattina mi sono alzato
e ho trovato l'invasor.


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oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
this morning I woke up
and I found the invader.

  
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