The US has agreed to increase the lethality of Ukraine’s upcoming F-16 fighter jets by arming them with advanced weapons.
A senior US official recently told The Wall Street Journal that the warplanes will feature the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which has an effective range of more than 20 miles (32 kilometers).
The weapon can effectively neutralize low-altitude targets, thanks to its active radar with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system that make the missile less dependent on the aircraft’s fire control system.
Additionally, the Ukrainian F-16s will reportedly receive Raytheon’s AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for short-range air-to-air engagements.
The weapons boast infrared homing guidance to ensure precision strikes in electronically challenged environments such as Ukraine.
“We are confident that we will be able to supply all of those (weapons), at least the critical volumes that they need,” the US official said.
No Timeline Disclosed
In addition to the AMRAAM and Sidewinder, the source said the Ukraine-bound aircraft could be fitted with AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that turns unguided bombs into “smart” weapons.
These weapons are already familiar to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they have been using them to bolster the country’s ground defenses.
For security reasons, the senior official did not say when exactly the F-16s will arrive in Kyiv.
Earlier reports indicate that an initial batch is expected to arrive this summer and the Ukrainian Air Force will receive up to 20 F-16s by the end of the year.
With the aircraft’s arrival imminent, concerns are mounting that the warplanes could become an obvious target for Russia and put towns near major air bases at risk.