Cash bounties offered for shooting down F‑16s over Ukraine

Russians are preparing for the arrival of Western fighter jets in Ukraine. Sergei Shmotyev, director of the Ural company Fores, has even announced cash rewards for shooting them down. The Bulgarian Military reports that a soldier can expect 15 million rubles and half a million rubles for each subsequent destroyed F-16 fighter jet. Let's recall what these machines are and what capabilities they have.

Ukraine is awaiting deliveries of Western F-16 fighter jets. According to Politico, Kyiv will receive over 60 F-16 fighter jets from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, with the first units expected to appear in Ukrainian airspace this summer. However, Western experts point out a problem with the availability of sufficient trained pilots.

The Washington Institute for the Study of War, citing a former Pentagon official, estimated that if the current training pace is maintained, Ukraine will only have sufficient trained pilots by the end of 2025. In practice, this means a limited ability to deploy F-16 fighter jets effectively in the future.

The pace of training is not the only challenge for future Ukrainian F-16 fighters. Another challenge is avoiding being shot down by the enemy army. Eliminating Western F-16s will be one of the highest priorities for the Russians, similar to the Patriot systems. Destroyed Western equipment is eagerly used by Russian propaganda.

Russians will also have additional financial motivation to hunt F-16s. As reported by the Bulgarian Military, Sergei Shmotyev, director of Fores, announced rewards of 15 million rubles (approximately 228 thousand CAD) for shooting down the first F-16 fighter jet and half a million rubles (approximately 7,500 CAD) for each subsequent one.

F-16, or fourth-generation multi-role fighter jets, designed by General Dynamics and currently produced by Lockheed Martin, differ significantly from the Su-27 or MiG-29 aircraft previously used by Ukrainians. They can be used for both air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. During the latter, the machine can use, for example, AGM-65G2 Maverick air-to-ground guided missiles or Mk82 and Mk84 bombs.

The F-16 fighter jet has a length of 15 metres, a wingspan of 9.4 metres, and can move at a speed of about 2 Mach, or nearly 2,450 km/h. Its maximum takeoff weight exceeds 15,875 kilograms. The aircraft's range is estimated at 2,000 kilometres, and its maximum flight altitude is nearly 15,000 metres. The primary armament of the F-16 is the M61A 20 mm cannon.