우크라이나군의 F-16, 단일교전에서 순항미사일 6기 격추

[위종민]

2024년 12월 13일 대순항미사일 요격임무 도중 우크라이나의 F-16이 암람 2발, 사이드와인더 2발과 M61 발칸을 사용해 한 교전에서 순항미사일 6발을 격추했다고 합니다. 

당시 러시아가 드론 200대와  킨잘, ALBM, 탄도미사일, 공중/지상/해상발사 순항미사일 94발을 발사했었다고 하네요. 

발칸으로 미사일을 격추했을 땐 나란히 날고 있던 순항미사일 2발을 동시에 떨궜네요. 

러시아 순항미사일엔 전자전 시스템이 탑재돼 있었지만 별 효과가 없었다고 합니다. 

Ukrainian F-16 shot down six cruise missiles - Militarnyi

7 January, 2025Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets. August 2024. Photo credits: Ukrainian Air Force

Ukrainian F-16 shot down six cruise missiles

Air Defense Air Force of Ukraine Aviation Fighter jet Ukraine War with Russia

For the first time in history, a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles in one combat mission.

Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Air Force Command Communications Department, reported on this.

The combat aircraft pilot used the F-16’s missiles and cannon to destroy the air targets.

This happened during a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine on December 13, 2024. At that time, there were almost 200 enemy drones, Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles, and 94 air-, sea-, and land-based cruise missiles in the Ukrainian sky.

Cruise missiles were the main target for the Ukrainian fighter jet during this attack. Intercepting such important targets is not an easy task for a pilot. Still, Ukrainian pilots have the most experience in the world in combat operations against cruise missiles, Yuriy Ihnat noted.

F-16 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force. August 2024. Photo credits: Office of the President of Ukraine

The Ukrainian F-16 had only four air-to-air missiles at its disposal: two medium-range and two short-range. Most likely, these were AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder, respectively. The long-range missiles were the first to be used, and then the pilot had to get close to a distance of around two miles to use the short-range missiles.

“The navigator guides me to the enemy targets, a group of eight cruise missiles is on course. I approach the appropriate distance, see interference, which means the missiles have their own electronic warfare system – the so-called “personal electronic warfare systems”. The F-type sights are quite powerful, and if the target is already in the sights, even under the influence of EW, it will not escape from the onboard radar. I flew up to a suitable distance, locked on to the targets again, launched the missiles in turn and… hit – both targets were destroyed!” the pilot recounted.

The fighter jet pilot then flew to intercept the next cruise missiles.

“I flew up to the second pair, locked on to the missiles, and saw that they were also ‘emitting Russian EW signals,’ but it didn’t help them much. The first missile hit the target, and the second one did too! There was no limit to my joy because I saw all the hits on enemy missiles with my own eyes! There was still some fuel left in the external tanks, and the combat mission continued… The navigator gave me the command to go to the loitering area to let my brother-in-arms on the Su-27 work on the targets,” the pilot continued to recollect.

Aircraft cannon

The F-16 pilot followed the command from the control center and moved to the designated area. However, another Russian cruise missile was in his vicinity, heading toward the capital. The pilot decided to take a chance and use the rapid-fire aircraft cannon.

In the United States, pilots learned how to shoot down air targets with an aircraft gun exclusively on simulators. In a real flight, Ukrainian F-16 pilots had never used the cannon against missiles before. This time, everything went perfectly.

“At first I was looking for a target below – nothing. Then I gained altitude, raised the radar, and saw it. I did everything as the instructors in the US taught me, as I practiced on the simulator. A few rounds from the cannon – and an explosion… then another! A repeat detonation… I thought, but as it turned out, according to the results of objective control, there were two missiles! They were flying in a “stack” next to each other,” the F-16 pilot described.

Illustration photo of the launch of the Kh-101 cruise missile. Photo from open sources

The Russians often launch cruise missiles in a tactical configuration where a group of enemy missiles can fly close together so that Ukrainian radars will see them as a single airborne target.

[백선호]

크루즈 미사일은 자기가 공격을 받고 있다는 것을 알 '두뇌'가 없으니 그냥 그대로 가는 것이고, 그래서 저렇게 차례로 요격할 수 있는 것 같습니다.

[위종민]

다량의 미사일이 한번에 요격되는 걸 막기 위해서라도 목표를 향해 다양한 경로를 통해 접근하며 동시에 탄착하도록 비행경로를 짜줄 필요가 있겠네요. 순항미사일 동원해 타격하는 것도 꽤 높은 수준의 기획능력이 필요할 것 같습니다.

[withoutlove]

기관포도 사용했다면 2차대전당시 타이푼같은 영국 전투기들이 독일이 발사한 V1을 요격하는 것과 유사한 장면이 70여년이 지나서 재현되는건가요?

[위종민]

https://cafe.daum.net/NTDS/515G/3823

APG-68이 순항미사일에 대해 거의 0에 가까운 능력을 갖고 있다고 하던데, 이게 요격 후 파편에 대해 기체가 충분히 안전거리를 확보할 수 있을 만한 거리에서 순항미사일급의 RCS를 가진 물건을 포착하기가 어렵단 뜻이었나 싶기도 합니다.