As Ukraine nears the must-awaited acquisition of F-16 fighter jets from Western allies, Russia is ramping up efforts to incentivize its forces to target these advanced aircraft. 

On July 16, Fores, a Russian company specializing in oil drilling equipment, confirmed it would pay 15 million rubles (approximately $170,000) to any Russian fighter who successfully downs the first F-16, according to the TASS. 

Ilya Potanin, the company’s deputy executive director for social work, confirmed in a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense that Fores would pay 15 million rubles, approximately $170,000, for the destruction of the first F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine. 

This announcement was made during a ceremony where servicemen from the Center group of troops received certificates and payments for the destruction of Western tanks in the Avdiivka direction.

“There will also be encouragement for the destruction of F-16 combat aircraft. For the destruction of the first, the reward will be 15 million rubles,” Potanin stated. 

Fores CEO Sergey Shmotyev first announced the establishment of this bounty in June during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. As revealed by CEO Sergey Shmotyev, Fores had previously established similar incentives for tank destruction, offering 5 million rubles ($55,910) for the first tank and 500,000 rubles ($5,591) for subsequent ones. 

The bounty’s confirmation coincides with recent announcements from the Dutch and Danish governments, which disclosed that the first F-16 fighter jets are en route to Ukraine and are expected to commence sorties this summer. 

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen revealed that the “transfer process” of F-16s to Kyiv is underway. 

“Ukraine will be flying operational F-16s this summer,” stated the two leaders, marking the initial deployment of approximately 85 combat aircraft pledged to Kyiv to bolster its battlefield capabilities. Ukrainian officials have indicated that more aircraft may be forthcoming.

The long-anticipated delivery of F-16s is part of what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described as a “substantial package” of support for Ukraine. 

F-16s For Ukrainian Air Force 

Ukraine’s Armed Forces are set to receive their first batch of F-16 fighter jets from the Danish and Dutch Air Forces in the coming days or weeks. Nineteen aircraft will come from Denmark and 24 from the Netherlands. These deliveries are anticipated to occur in the second half of 2024. 

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The models to be delivered are the F-16 AM/BM variants, which, while not the latest models, have been upgraded with modernized equipment and weapons systems.

Additional deliveries are planned from Norway and Belgium. Belgium, which currently has over 50 F-16s, will gradually retire these aircraft and transfer some to Ukraine. 

Belgium has committed to supplying all 30 F-16s by 2028, with the condition that they must not be flown over Russian territory. Norway, which has already withdrawn more than 70 F-16s from service, plans to send 22 of these jets to Ukraine, 12 of which are fully combat-ready.

The F-16’s main air combat armaments include AIM-9L Sidewinder short-range missiles with infrared homing heads and AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) with active radar homing heads for medium and long ranges. 

For ground attack missions, the F-16 is equipped with a range of guided missiles and bombs, including the AGM-65G Maverick, GBU-12, GBU-24, and GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The F-16 aircraft is also equipped with a six-barreled 20 mm Vulcan cannon.

The F-16 fighters are likely to avoid direct air battles and will primarily be used for air defense within Ukrainian territory and as platforms for launching Western air-launched missiles. 

The US-made F-16 is considered crucial for Ukraine, with the hope that these fighters will counter Russian glide bomb attacks launched from warplanes up to 70 km away, which have been devastating Ukrainian frontline positions.

Defense expert and former US Air Force veteran Harrison Kass has cautioned that F-16 fighters will not survive in Russian-controlled airspace.

“Once the Ukrainians enter Russian-controlled airspace, the likelihood of survival and the value of the F-16 will be markedly reduced,” he stated, emphasizing that the American fighter jets will not be a “magic wand” for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Despite the F-16’s advantages over Soviet-era aircraft currently in Ukraine’s arsenal, Kass believes that their primary benefit will be in buying more time for Ukraine rather than providing a decisive edge in the conflict.

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