Summary Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashes, pilot dies in combat mission. Crash not due to enemy fire, cause unclear, rumors persist. Ukraine facing shortage of qualified F-16 pilots, impact significant.
US officials have apparently confirmed a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has crashed in Ukraine as it participated in countering a massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine . The Ukrainian General Staff claimed the same F-16 shot down three Russian cruise missiles and a drone during the engagement. The pilot, called Oleskii Mes "Moonfish," is confirmed to have died in the incident.
First Ukranian F-16 loss weeks after arriving in country While the Ukrainian F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed during a combat mission, it does not appear to have been due to enemy fire. Instead, The Wall Street Journal reported that " initial reports indicate the jet wasn't shot down by enemy fire " and that the crash was " likely a result of pilot error ." The WSJ cited an unnamed US official as its source for that particular information.
According to CNN , the Ukrainians deny it was due to pilot error. The details of the incident remain unclear. Rumors circulated online that Russia shot it down or that it was shot down by friendly fire - however, at this point there is just more not known than is known.
The Ukrainian Air Force has confirmed the loss of the jet and the pilot, Oleksiy Mes, and that he perished on Monday on a post on social media. It stated, " Oleksii Mes’, a pilot of the Ukrainian Air Force, heroically fought his last battle in the skies. On August 26, during a massive russian missile and air strike, Oleksii shot down three cruise missiles and one strike UAV.
He saved countless Ukrainians from deadly russian missiles, tragically at the cost of his own life ." While the F-16 has a stellar combat record, they are getting old and will be up against the latest Russian fighter jets and air defense. Ukraine's shallow pool of qualified pilots Ukraine is believed to have received around 10 retired F-16 fighters from Denmark and the Netherlands.
This number is expected to grow to 20 by the end of the year, and so far, around 91 F-16s have been pledged ( up to another 32 could arrive in time from Greece ). Since arriving, the F-16s have largely kept a low profile. They are expected to be used for air defense for the next while as Ukraine is working to integrate them and learning how to use them effectively.
The first Ukrainian F-16s have been seen configured for an air defense role . Perhaps the greatest loss is the pilot. Ukraine only has a handful of trained F-16 pilots, and the loss of even one pilot will be keenly felt.
Only a handful were considered to have appropriate English proficiency and piloting skills needed for an expedited F-16 training program (completed in 6 months). Other pilots are being trained but at a lower level and will take longer to qualify..
