Until now, it was widely expected that Ukraine’s F-16AMs would be used primarily for air defence, staying away from the front lines to avoid losing the expensive aircraft in battle.
The all-weather GBU-39 glide bomb is guided by both GPS and an Inertial Navigation System [INS], helping it hit targets with high precision and reducing the probability of collateral damage. Weighing just 250lb, this means aircraft can hold quadruple the number of weapons they usually carry, according to defence intelligence firm Janes. The bombs’ extended range also allows aircraft to strike from a safer distance.
An F-16AM from the Royal Netherlands Air Force performs at the 2014 Tatoi Airshow near Athens (Photo: Micheal Debets/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The F-16AM’s firepower extends far beyond glide bombs. The aircraft can also be equipped with JDAM-ER precision-guided bombs, ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoys (MALDs), and French-made Hammer missiles — giving Ukraine the ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory.
Ukraine confirmed on Thursday that it had also received its first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets, as well as additional US-made F-16s from the Netherlands. However, analysts warn that this may have come too late to make a decisive difference on the battlefield.
He added that Russia had had ample time to prepare for their arrival, further limiting their immediate effectiveness. “The delay in making the decision to provide the aircraft now seems more misplaced than ever. What is more, Russia has had plenty of time to plan for their appearance and adapt accordingly.”
A Belgian Air Force F-16 AM fighting during the 53rd Paris Air Show. The F-16AM’s firepower extends far beyond glide bombs (Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Meanwhile, Ukraine intensified its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure. Overnight, drones targeted the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, one of the country’s key refineries with a processing capacity of over six million tonnes of oil per year.
Shell gas shipments are being escorted by Kremlin-backed icebreaker boats
Read MoreMoscow’s sheer manpower advantages are continuing to push Ukrainian forces back. Russia says its troops have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Toretsk, a strategically significant urban centre in the eastern region of Donetsk. Moscow is now focusing on Pokrovsk, a vital logistics hub southwest of Toretsk.
According to Russia’s state news agency Tass, Russia’s defence ministry said it repelled all three offensives in the Kursk region in one night over the weekend, little more than six months after Ukraine invaded in a surprise attack.
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