Five F-16 Fighting Falcons from Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Ariz., fly in formation over southern Arizona on April 6, 2024. U.S. airmen from a base in Florida upgraded the electronic warfare capabilities of F-16s provided to Ukraine, and combat feedback from Ukrainian pilots will be provided. (Colin Hollowell/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force boost to the electronic warfare system on Western F-16s being delivered to Ukraine will offer the American and allied militaries a window into the lessons from Kyiv’s use of the planes, according to the service.
Florida-based airmen worked with Denmark and Norway while overseas to reprogram the Vipers, whose combat data from Ukrainian pilots will be analyzed to improve the electronic warfare capabilities of the U.S., Ukraine and allies, the Air Force said Monday.
That feedback may be on the way soon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his military, with help from the F-16s, had shot down Russian missiles used in a large-scale attack Monday, according to Ukrainian news sources.
During a forum in Kyiv on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the fighter jets had “a very good result” and repelled “some missiles and drones,” Ukrainska Pravda reported Tuesday.
Zelenskyy’s announcement marks the first report of F-16s flying combat missions in the war since Ukraine received its initial batch of planes in late July.
The 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, one of five squadrons under the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, led the reprogramming effort, which was deemed an “urgent priority” by the U.S. and its partners, the wing said in statement Monday.
“With the third-party transfer of F-16s by Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands to Ukraine,” another electronic warfare “capability is joining the fight for Ukraine,” the wing said.
The statement did not say whether the upgrades had been added to Dutch F-16s supplied to Ukraine.
The wing did not specify how the jets’ electronic warfare capabilities were enhanced. But the system used is not part of the U.S Air Force inventory, which presented a challenge along with a short window to meet the delivery time of the jets, the wing added.
The airmen relied on data provided by Denmark and Norway and went overseas to “collaboratively develop and test the system alongside coalition teammates,” the Air Force said.
The goal was to integrate the jets into Ukraine’s air force and make their electronic warfare system effective against evolving Russian threats, the wing statement said.
Electronic warfare can be used to jam GPS navigation and communications systems and enemy radar signals, among other uses.
Ukraine and Russia have engaged in electronic warfare through techniques such as jamming and spoofing, the statement said. Spoofing is a tactic that involves sending fake location signals or GPS data to an adversary.
Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway have pledged to provide Ukraine with more than 60 F-16s over the coming months, according to The Associated Press.
