Efrem Lukatsky/AP
- Ukraine's F-16s are finally taking flight, marking a new era in its war against Russia.
- President Zelenskyy touted the aircraft and the pilots flying them on Sunday.
- Experts say the aircraft will likely operate mostly within Ukrainian airspace to avoid losses.
Almost since the war began, Ukraine has worked to acquire F-16s from its allies and train pilots to fly them. Now, they're finally taking flight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video on X showing the new F-16s taking off, calling the moment a "new phase of development for the Air Force" in Ukraine.
"We have done a lot to transition the Ukrainian Air Force to a new aviation standard — Western combat aviation. From the beginning of this war, we have been talking with our partners about the need to close the Ukrainian sky from Russian missiles and aircraft," the Ukrainian president wrote, thanking Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States for the long-awaited aircraft that are now "a reality in our sky."
"I am proud of all our guys who are skillfully mastering these aircraft and have already started using them for our country," he added.
Ukraine has long believed the F-16 would be a game changer in its defensive war against Russia. But with a limited number of aircraft and pilots who know how to fly them, they will likely be cautious to avoid losses. That means they'll need hefty protection while on the ground and fly mostly in Ukrainian airspace.
"The main threat to them is long-range Russian SAMs (S-400s) and Russian fighters staying inside Russian air space but launching long-range air-to-air missiles into Ukrainian airspace," Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, previously told Business Insider.
The US-made aircraft has air-to-air missiles like the AIM-120 and the AIM-9X.
Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for military technology at the Royal United Services Institute, said on X that the missiles suggest "an initial focus on internal air defence."