Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Christian D. Orr evaluates the Ukrainian Air Force‘s operational milestones as of March 2026. Utilizing the BAE Systems APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System), Ukrainian F-16 Vipers have successfully intercepted Geran-type OWA drones, leveraging Sniper targeting pods for infrared-guided kills.
-This report analyzes the strategic integration of the Mirage 2000-5F, now deploying MICA missiles and AASM Hammer precision bombs.
-Orr explores the fleet’s composition, noting that while the WDMMA ranks Ukraine 30th globally, the precision of Western-made fighters is effectively bridging the gap against the 3rd-ranked Russian Air Force.
The Viper’s 2026 Progress: How the F-16 APKWS II is Decimating Russian Geran Drones
When Ukraine received its first batch of U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcon (“Viper”) fighter jets in August 2024, it was kind of a big deal. It enabled Ukraine to finally upgrade its air force’s fight against the ongoing scourge of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation.”
Prior to the arrival of the Vipers, the Ukrainian Air Force was relying on Cold War-vintage Soviet-designed fighter jets such as the Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum”, Sukhoi Su-27 “Flanker,” and Su-24 “Fencer.”
It didn’t take long for Ukraine’s Vipers to make an impact. One Viper driver became a Ukrainian national hero by shooting down six Russian cruise missiles in a single engagement in February 2025.
Now that it is March 2026, with the Fighting Falcons flying & fighting for Ukraine for more than a year, it is a good time to check in on their performance.
F-16 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team commander and pilot, takes off for a practice demonstration at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Feb. 13, 2025. Hiester leads a team of Airmen charged with showcasing the combat capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon for millions of spectators each year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Meghan Hutton)
KF-16 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
A Belgian Air Component F-16 flies behind a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, before receiving fuel over Germany, Feb. 23, 2018. The air refueling was part of a large force exercise with NATO allies including the Belgian, Dutch, French and German air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luke Milano)
APKWS Attack
This story comes to us from The Aviationist reporter Parth Satam:
“A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 was captured for the first time while using its Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II guided rockets against a Russian unmanned system, believed to be a Geran-type One-Way Attack (OWA) drone, in a video that appeared on Feb. 17. The video is actually infrared footage from the Sniper targeting pod used to lase the target, part of a longer promotional video by the Ukrainian Air Force. …This new development comes after a Ukrainian F-16 was recently captured in unofficial footage from the ground shooting down a Russian Geran drone with its onboard M61 Vulcan cannon. Notably, Russian Geran drones themselves have been evolving, carrying Soviet-era R-60 short-range infrared-guided Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) and Verba Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS).”
About the APKWS II
The APKWS II is built by BAE Systems.
According to the manufacturer’s official info page, “The U.S. Government’s only program of record for 2.75”/70mm guided rockets, our APKWS guidance kit transforms unguided 2.75-inch (70 millimeter) rockets like the Hydra 70 Mk 66 and others into precision-guided munitions (PGMs);” moreover, from an interoperability and joint service operations (“One Team, One Fight, hooah!”) standpoint, this weapons system “bridges the gap between unguided rockets and larger anti-armor munitions with commonality across the U.S. military services – Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force.”
U.S. Air Force F-16s have been already flying with the APKWS II in the Central Command region for more than a year, with at least two LAU-131A/A seven-shot rocket pods seen so far.
The Air Force has also armed an F-16 with six LAU-131A/A pods for an extended magazine capacity of 42 rockets.
The Way Forward
The F-16 isn’t the only Western-made fighter contributing to the Ukrainian Air Force’s war effort.
As noted by Sania Kozatskyi, senior editor of Militarnyi, “The Ukrainian Air Force has begun using French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets to carry out airstrikes on the positions of Russian forces.
Mirage 2000. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Mirage 2000. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“Previously, it had been officially reported that the Ukrainian Air Force was using these aircraft only for air defense – intercepting Russian cruise missiles and drones. … In Ukraine, these fighters use French MICA and Magic-2 air-to-air missiles to engage Russian aerial targets. Now, the aircraft are also striking ground targets with AASM Hammer bombs.”
It was recently announced that Ukraine will receive two additional Mirages from France by the end of the first quarter of 2026. By the end of the year, Ukraine is expected to have at least four of the Gallic warbirds in its fleet. (One was lost in action in July 2025.)
The Vipers and the Mirages should make for an effective air combat tandem.
The most current figures for the overall strength of the Ukrainian fighter fleet, according to the ever-handy World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, show that the Ukrainian Air Force has nine F-16s, two Mirage 2000-5Fs, 14 Su-24s, 25 Su-27s, and 89 MiG-29s.
These 89 combined fighters comprise 34 percent of the Ukrainian Air Force’s total active aircraft inventory of 261 airframes, ranking the Ukrainian Air Force 30th out of 129 individual air forces from 103 countries tracked by the website.
Meanwhile, the Russian Air Force is ranked 3rd.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
