Polish F‑16s on high alert amid Russian drone threat
Russians once again carried out an attack on Ukrainian cities during the night of November 20 to 21 using drones and missiles. Since the towns close to the Polish border were targeted, our F-16 aircraft and machines from other NATO countries appeared in the air.
The Operational Command reported that due to another massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, standby fighter jet pairs, along with ground air defence and radar reconnaissance systems, were placed on the highest alert level.
Their task is to ensure security in areas bordering threatened regions. The RSZ Operational Command is monitoring the current situation, and the subordinate forces and resources are fully ready for immediate response.
F-16 planes as drone and cruise missile hunters
The use of F-16 aircraft as hunters of drones or cruise missiles is one of the tasks, especially in cooperation with AWACS type aircraft. This is a much more effective and cheaper tandem than a network of ground-based anti-aircraft systems and radar stations, which have problems detecting low-flying targets due to the so-called radar horizon.
It is also worth noting that in the event of detection of an intrusion into Polish airspace, shooting it down is not guaranteed. If the object is to crash, for example, in a forest, it makes no sense to waste missiles because each shoot-down carries a risk (fragments and debris must fall somewhere).
Polish F-16C/D aircraft are the Block 52+ variant. They were produced in the 2000s, so they are over 20 years old. They require modernization, but they are still much more advanced machines than the F-16A/B MLU aircraft delivered to Ukraine after modifications. Ukrainian machines are also deprived of encrypted communication reserved for NATO machines.
Characteristic features of Polish F-16s
Polish F-16 aircraft are characterized, among other things, by conformal fuel tanks (characteristic humps), which allow for carrying more weaponry, as they do not occupy a pylon like regular external tanks. Additionally, Polish models are equipped with the AN/APG-68(V)9 radar, J-HMCS helmet-mounted sight, and F100-PW-229 engines.
The armament of Polish F-16s primarily includes medium-range air-to-air missiles AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM, which can engage targets at distances of about 100 kilometres, and modern short-range missiles AIM-9X Sidewinder. The latter variant is particularly useful for combating drones and cruise missiles.
