Ukrainian air force's F‑16 reveal: Tactical deception or strategic move?

Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleschuk, posted pictures and a video on social media showing an F-16 fighter jet in Ukrainian colours. The published materials enabled analysts to determine that the aircraft was stationed at the Kolomea airport. The disclosure of this type of data raised numerous questions about whether the Ukrainians shared it intentionally. Łukasz Pacholski, an expert from "Lotnictwo Aviation International" magazine, told us that such an action could be a "trap for the Russians".

The Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force published materials showing an F-16 fighter jet and the mother of fallen pilot Andriy Pilshchykov, known by the pseudonym "Juice", in its cockpit. Pilshchykov contributed to the legend of the "Ghost of Kyiv", a pilot who managed to shoot down dozens of enemy fighter jets. "Juice" died on August 25, 2023, along with two other pilots, Vyacheslav Minka and Serhiy Prokazin, during a training flight. Two L-39M1 aircraft collided in mid-air while the pilots were practising air combat maneuvers.

As the Defence Blog service recalls, during the funeral of Andriy Pilshchykov, a promise was made regarding F-16 fighters, which were not yet in Ukraine at the time. The promise was fulfilled when "Juice's" mother, Lilia Oleksandrivna, sat in the cockpit of the aircraft her son dreamed of piloting. Photos showing the woman aboard the F-16 fighter jet in Ukrainian colours quickly allowed analysts to determine its location. According to experts, the aircraft was at the Kolomea airport, a city located in western Ukraine, near the Romanian border.

The decision to publish materials that allow the location of Ukrainian F-16s to be identified sparked many emotions. However, experts believe that such an action was not accidental. One of the motives of the Ukrainians could have been to show that the fighters are indeed based on its territory and not on that of allies, as noted by the Altair aviation agency. - F-16 aircraft are not allowed to take off from Poland or Romania. These fighters, which have actually been delivered to Ukraine, must be stationed on its territory - Łukasz Pacholski notes in his conversation with WP Tech.

- Why was such a photo made public? Most likely, it is a matter of misleading the opponent, spreading out decoy targets that are intended to cause the Russians to use valuable weapons, such as cruise missiles or ballistic missiles, to destroy decoy targets rather than real bases and aircraft - emphasizes the expert. He also reminds us that the F-16 fighters can operate from various locations spread throughout Ukraine, including civilian airports and highways.

- We can see that during these two and a half years of the war, the Russians have not managed to destroy Ukrainian aviation on the ground, and now I also feel that the publication of photos that allow the identification of the F-16's location is a trap for the Russians - summarises Łukasz Pacholski.

The first F-16 fighters appeared in Ukraine in July and early August. Most likely, ten aircraft were delivered by the Netherlands and Denmark. Ukraine is expected to receive a total of about 80 of these aircraft. Such a number of fighters will allow the creation of several squadrons, which will mainly defend the sky against Russian air raids. The aircraft will also enable air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks and jam the electronic signals of Russian radars deployed in Ukraine and along its borders.