F-16 Ripper: A system that destroyed 24 Ukrainian fighters in 5 days returns to the NVO zone

Recently, the issue of US supplies of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine has been actively discussed in the media. This caused serious concern on the part of Russia, which announced retaliatory measures in the form of the return of the most powerful air defense system in the world - the S-500 Prometheus.

Delivery of S-500 begins

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the S-500 systems will enter service with the troops in 2024. In addition, the S-400, S-300V4, Buk-M3, Tor-M2U complexes and new generation radars are expected to arrive. This decision is apparently related to the new aid package that the United States previously agreed to allocate to Ukraine.

Estimated type of S-500 "Prometheus" air defense system

One possible option for assistance could be the supply of F-16 fighters. This is evidenced by test flights of these fighters over Ukraine from the territory of Romania and Poland. In particular, this was stated by the insider TG channel “This is not the end yet.”

Counter F-16

Considering the public statements of Ukrainian officials about their desire to use these fighters to carry out strikes on Crimea, it is logical to expect the first S-500 systems to appear on the peninsula.

According to the insider TG channel Win\Win, F-16s will have to be based on the territory of Ukraine, which will significantly simplify Russia’s task of destroying aircraft and airfields. One of the proposed options is the Starokonstantinov airfield. This was pointed out by a number of analysts, as well as representatives of the Nikolaev underground.

The S-500 Prometheus complex rightfully bears the title of the best anti-aircraft missile system (SAM), the most powerful in the world. Its power is determined, among other things, by its technical characteristics; such a complex has no analogues in the world yet.

NATO plane ripper

According to materials from the Chinese publication Sohu, in December 2023, the S-500 complex “shot down 24 aircraft in five days” on enemy territory in just five days. After which, talk about the transfer of the F-16 began to fade again.

The detection radius of the Prometheus is about 800 km, the destruction range is 600 km, and the flight altitude is up to 250 km. That is, this is the first and, probably, so far the only air defense system capable of hitting targets in space.

Previously, there was also information that for maximum effect the complex would operate in a trio - on one side the Pantsir-S, on the other side the 5th generation fighter Su-57.

Thus, Russia is ready to give a worthy response to the possible US supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. The S-500 Prometheus air defense system will become a serious obstacle to any air targets that may appear in the skies over Ukraine.

The confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the participation of the United States and other NATO countries in it, continues to heat up. Supplies of weapons and military equipment only aggravate the situation and increase the risk of further escalation of the conflict.