The American F-16 is an award-winning fighter jet that has been the combat aircraft of choice for NATO and numerous air forces around the world for 50 years.
Western countries have promised F-16s to Kiev, and some have already arrived in Ukraine, officials in Washington confirmed to The Associated Press.
The fighters are expected to begin flying in Ukrainian skies soon and will provide much-needed support to the country's current fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets to counter the Russian invasion.
US President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead in August 2023 for the deployment of used F-16s to Ukraine, although the US will not provide its own planes. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with more than 60 such fighters in the coming months, and this could prove to be a slow flow of supplies.
While Russia's recent successes on the battlefield have been gradual, it has been steadily advancing while Ukraine has been gradually retreating.
The F-16 fighter jets will boost Ukraine's military might, especially by modernizing its air defenses. But analysts say they won't turn the tide of the war on their own. Here's what to know:
F-16s will likely have three main missions, noted Federico Borsari of the Center for European Policy Studies in Washington.
They will seek to intercept Russian missiles and drones that are relentlessly bombing Ukraine, deter enemy air defense systems, and strike Russian troop positions and ammunition depots with air-to-surface missiles.
"They will be able to influence part of the dynamics (of the war)", Borsari believes.
Much information about the deployment of the F-16s is classified, including what targets Western governments allow them to strike and what weapons they will send with the planes.
F-16s can carry UK-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles. with a range of more than 250 km, which can hit targets on the territory of Russia. They may also receive long-range air-to-air missiles that would threaten Russian bombers and fighter jets. The aircraft's advanced radars will allow Ukrainian pilots to engage targets at greater distances than their MiG-29s, Su-27s and Su-24s can.
Control of airspace is an essential part of a war's land campaign, as aircraft provide air cover for troops. But supporting the movement of Ukrainian troops on the front line with ground attacks may prove too risky for F-16 fighters, given Russia's advanced air defense systems.
At the very least, the fighters could have a psychological impact on Russian pilots and give a morale boost to Ukrainians fighting against Kremlin forces.
Marina Miron of the Department of Defense Studies at King's College; in London lists a long list of challenges the F-16 will bring to Ukraine.
The roughly nine-month training in the U.S. and Europe for the Ukrainian pilots is equivalent to a crash course compared to the usual three-year course for Western pilots for what Miron calls a "very complex machine". This will mean limitations on their effectiveness.
F-16s also require a large number of support personnel, such as skilled maintenance engineers, ordnance loaders, intelligence analysts, and emergency crews.
Ukraine must also build a network of radar stations, reinforced hangars, supply of spare parts and refueling systems. Quality airfields are also a must, as the F-16's engine air intake is close to the runway and there is a danger of debris and dirt being sucked in from it.
"There are so many related issues to be resolved," said Miron.
Ukrainian pilots who do not have combat experience with the F-16 fighter jets can avoid participating in close air combat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin would enjoy the sight of destroying NATO F-16 fighter jets.
Kremlin forces are likely to try to destroy the F-16s on the ground with long-range missiles. They have already targeted the limited number of suitable airports in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians should park the F-16 fighter jets in fortified hangars, disperse them in various locations, deploy mock-up aircraft and be ready to take off quickly in the event of an airstrike warning, analysts advise.
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Ukraine has said it may keep some of the fighter jets at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes. This prompted a sharp response from Putin, who warned that any Western air base hosting Ukrainian fighter jets would be a "legitimate target" for the Kremlin forces.
US officials said the F-16s will be based in Ukraine.
In the air, Ukrainian F-16s will face Russia's formidable S-300 and S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile systems, which can target multiple aircraft simultaneously. The Russian army also has several hundred operational fighter jets, as well as sophisticated airspace surveillance radars.
The Russian Su-35 fighter jet will be one of the biggest threats to the F-16, predicts Borsari of the Center for European Policy Research in Washington. The Su-35 has a long-range radar that allows it to track and engage up to eight targets simultaneously over a wide area.
However, the Russians are aware that they will be facing a more formidable aircraft than they have ever encountered in the war, and are likely to take a more cautious approach.
Although Russian forces will try to hit the F-16 fighter jets at the air bases where they are located, Ukraine has strong defenses to protect them from such attacks, according to Ukrainian aviation expert Anatoliy Khrapchinsky.
Ukraine has solid capabilities "to protect its airfields with air defenses to deflect (Russian) attacks," Hrapchinsky told The Associated Press.
"All the time after Russia invaded Ukraine, it was actively trying to hit Ukrainian airports, but somewhat unsuccessfully," he noted.
Hrapchinsky said the F-16s will significantly increase the Ukrainian Air Force's ability to defend the country's airspace from Russian attacks and increase the range at which Ukraine can strike strategic targets in Russia.
"With the acquisition of F-16 aircraft, we will be able to solve a number of problems that are currently harming Ukraine. Among them are Russia's massive missile attacks, the use of guided aerial bombs and the deployment of S-300 missile system installations in the border areas near the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv," Hrapchinsky said. "We are talking about getting F-16 aircraft, and in my opinion, this will significantly help Ukraine to deal with the Russian aggression that is taking place at the moment,", he concluded.
Translation from English: Svetoslav Tanchev, BTA