For the first time, an F-16 shot down six cruise missiles at once. Ihnat spoke about the Ukrainian pilot's record.

A Ukrainian pilot has, for the first Time in history, shot down six Russian cruise missiles in one combat sortie of an F-16 fighter jet. This happened during a massive missile-drone attack in December 2024. This was reported by former spokesperson of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Yuriy Ihnat.

«During the massive missile-drone attack in December 2024, he did the incredible! For the first time in the history of the use of the Fighting Falcon, the F-16 fighter jet shot down six enemy cruise missiles in one combat sortie!», – it is stated in the report.

Y Ihnat notes that cruise missiles are the primary target of the Ukrainian fighter. According to him, intercepting such important targets is not an easy task for the pilot.

The F-16 pilot explained how he managed to shoot down the missiles:

«The guidance officer leads me to enemy targets, there is a group of eight cruise missiles on course. I get closer to the appropriate distance, see obstacles – which means the missiles have their own electronic warfare – so-called «individual protection electronic warfare means». The targeting system in the F-16 is quite powerful, if the target is already in the sight, even under the influence of electronic warfare, it won’t disappear from the onboard radar. I approached a convenient working distance, acquired the targets again, sequentially launched missiles and… hit – both targets were destroyed!»

Yuriy Ihnat notes that under the wings of the F-16, the Ukrainian pilot had only four air-to-air missiles: medium-range and short-range. The missiles with a longer range were the first to be used, then the pilot had to close in to about two miles to use the short-range missiles.

«I approached the second pair, acquired the missiles, saw that they also «radiated Russian electronic warfare», but this did not help them much. The first launch – target destroyed, second one – too! There was no limit to the joy because I saw all hits on enemy missiles with my own eyes! There was still some fuel left in the underwing tanks, and the combat work continued… The guidance officer gave me the command to go to the standby area, to allow a comrade on Su-27 to engage the targets», – the pilot reported.

The pilot executed the command from the control point – moved into the designated area. However, another enemy target came into his course, which, evidently, was heading towards the capital.

«I understood that there weren’t many chances to hit a missile flying at a speed of 650 km/h+, first I had to find it in the sky, level with its altitude, and from a distance of no more than 500 meters, fire ahead of the target. Getting closer was extremely dangerous – in case of detonation of a warhead weighing 450 kg, there is a great risk for the aircraft, at least to fly into a cloud of debris», – the pilot noted.

According to Ihnat, the pilot knew he was risking his life and how to act in this situation, as he had recently undergone retraining on F-16 in the USA.

«At first, I searched for the target below – nothing. Then I climbed, raised the radar, and spotted it. I did everything as the instructors taught in the USA, as I practiced on the simulator. A few bursts from the cannon – and an explosion… then another one! A secondary detonation… I thought, – but, as it turned out from the objective control results – there were two missiles! They were flying «in tiers», close to each other. The enemy often launches them in such tactical configurations; a whole group of enemy missiles can fly close together so that the opponent sees them as one target. Well, actually, that day I probably set a record. However, the main thing is the result! I am happy that I managed to do it, dedicating this success to all my comrades who went to eternal flight, not waiting for F-16 in the Ukrainian sky», – the pilot explained.

Ihnat notes that according to the objective control results, there is 100% confirmation that, for the first time in history, in aerial combat, an American F-16 fighter shot down six cruise missiles, two of them with an aviation cannon.

«Just imagine what a formidable deterrent force the war-hardened Ukrainian pilots will constitute in central Europe when the Air Force receives F-35s, for example!», – summarized Yuriy Ihnat.

Let us remind you that on December 13, 2024, Russia carried out another massive terrorist attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Thermal power plants belonging to DTEK were attacked.