WSJ: Ukraine may have shot down its F-16 over summer due to “US overcautiousness”
Pravda Ukraine
The Wall Street Journal has published a column on the probable cause of the F-16 fighter jet crash that resulted in the death of pilot Oleksii Mes on 26 August 2024. The newspaper writes that it was friendly fire from a Patriot air defence system, although Ukraine has not officially reported this.
Source: Jillian Kay Melchior’s column in The Wall Street Journal
Details: The disaster, the sources said, may have been caused by the Link 16 friend and foe system, which was disabled on the Patriots handed over to Ukraine.
The Link 16 tactical network provides a real-time overview of all elements of the system – aircraft, ground units, air defence assets and command. This makes operations safer for allies and more deadly for the opponent. Link 16 also reduces the risk to pilots during flights.
The first Patriot air defence systems arrived in Ukraine in April 2023. WSJ cites Dariia Kaleniuk, co-founder of the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory, as saying that the Patriot was disconnected from Link 16 because no one expected Ukraine to receive F-16 fighters. And when the West approved the transfer of the fighter jets a few months later, “that was not fixed”.
As the author suggests, Link 16 is such an important and sensitive tool that the US may have been unwilling to provide it to Ukraine due to the excessive caution characteristic of the Biden administration’s policy towards Ukraine.
The Pentagon responded to Melchior’s request by saying that it does not comment on the configuration of weapons provided to partners and advised to contact the Ukrainian side.
Sources claim that efforts are underway to address this shortcoming but refused to provide details.
Background:
- On 29 August, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that an F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in a plane crash in Ukraine on 26 August.
- Also on 26 August, Air Command Zakhid (West) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Ukrainian pilot Oleksii Mes was killed while repelling a large-scale Russian combined missile and drone attack on 26 August.
- The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a Russian missile attack, and the pilot died.
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