F-16 fighter jets cannot play a game-changing role in the Russia–Ukraine war because they are not capable of countering modern Russian aviation.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by Ukrainian aviation expert Valeriy Romanenko.

“These aircraft cannot fight on equal terms with the most advanced Russian jets. They lag behind. To put it simply, if the F-16 is considered a 4th generation plus (4+) aircraft, all Russian jets fall into the 4th generation double plus (4++) category. So in terms of quality, the F-16 is one step behind—especially in terms of maneuverability and radar detection range,” the expert said.

He added that Russian aircraft typically carry 10 missiles, and it is possible to equip them with two additional missiles with a range of over 200 km—something the F-16s cannot do. Furthermore, the F-16 is suitable only for use at low altitudes near the front lines, while Russian aircraft tend to operate at higher altitudes.

He explained that because of this, even if the missile range is roughly the same, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to use F-16 missiles almost like surface-to-air missiles, which cuts their effective range in half:

“In terms of tactical and technical specifications, we don’t have the capability to engage in equal combat. A ‘game-changer’ only occurs when the technology can truly shift the course of air battles.”