Yesterday morning, various U.S. media outlets reported on an accident involving one of the recently incorporated F-16 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force. The news, initially circulated by outlets such as CNN and The New York Times, gained traction until the Ukrainian Air Force itself confirmed the death of Oleksiy Mes, the pilot of the Fighting Falcon, which occurred last Monday. No further details about the incident were provided, marking the first combat loss of the American-made aircraft.
Earlier this August, the Ukrainian Air Force celebrated the arrival of the first batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, transferred by a coalition of Western allies. Led by Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, with the authorization and approval of the U.S. government, the transfer process involves the provision of up to 65 aircraft, with the possibility of more in the future from third countries like Greece, for example.
During those early days of the month, at a ceremony led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the arrival of the first F-16AM/BM fighters, previously belonging to the Royal Danish Air Force, was announced. Although only two aircraft were seen in flight, with serial numbers UA 80-3596 and UA 80-3599, various sources indicated that this first batch consisted of six units, intended for airspace defense operations over Kyiv.
According to U.S. media reports, the F-16 piloted by Oleksiy Mes, known as “Moonfish,” crashed on Monday, August 26, with no further details provided. As time passed, the Ukrainian Air Force reported via social media the pilot’s death took place during an attack by Russian Armed Forces, in which Moonfish conducted air cover missions, intercepting three cruise missiles and an unmanned aerial vehicle. However, the Air Force did not specify the causes of the crash, which tragically resulted in the pilot’s death—a matter that is likely being investigated to determine the causes.
To date, with a shortage of qualified pilots to operate the new weapons system, this incident is of particular importance concerning the ongoing efforts to transfer more F-16s to Ukraine. Various adjustments are likely being considered in the training of new personnel, currently taking place in the United States and several European countries.
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