July 25, 2026, 12:02 am
A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon has successfully shot down a Russian Su-35 Flanker-E in air-to-air combat, marking a historic first in the war. The milestone was publicly confirmed in late July 2026 by General Dan Caine, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Senate hearing.
Caine stated, “I want to highlight the incredible work the Ukraine industrial base is doing as they scale their own capabilities. It ranges from their surface-to-air capabilities to air-to-air capabilities. I’ll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill [where a] Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter.”
Viewers may note that loss of Su-35 on 8 July has been accepted by Russian commentators and it is most likely General Dan Caine was referring to that only.
This development is particularly noteworthy.
The F-16s supplied to Ukraine by the Netherlands and Denmark are relatively old variants.
The aircraft delivered consist of F-16AM (single-seat) and F-16BM (two-seat) models.
These are legacy F-16 Block 10 and Block 15 airframes that underwent the extensive Mid-Life Update (MLU) modernization program.
They are equipped with the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 X-band mechanically scanned pulse-Doppler radar, which is capable of detecting a non-stealth, fighter-sized target at a maximum range of approximately 100 miles (160 km). The most capable air-to-air weapon available for these aircraft is the AIM-120C-8, the export variant of the AIM-120D, with a maximum engagement range of approximately 100 miles (160 km).
By contrast, the Su-35 is among the most advanced fighters in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and is widely classified as a 4++ generation multirole combat aircraft.
It is equipped with the Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array radar, which is reported to detect fighter-sized targets at ranges of up to 250 miles (400 km). The aircraft can be armed with the R-77M beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, which has a stated maximum range of approximately 250 miles (400 km).
Technically , it has significant edge.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how US made old F-16 managed to down Russian Su-35 in Ukraine ?
We explore 3 possibilities.
#defenseupdates #f16vssu35 #ukrainerussiawar
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:32 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:06 MISSILE FIRED FROM ANOTHER F-16
04:30 TRACKING DATA FROM PATRIOT
07:42 GUIDANCE FROM SAAB ASC 890
Sponsorship:
✴️ https://nordvpn.com/DEFENSE
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