If you’ve been reading the news lately, you might have heard something big is going on in Ukrainian airspace. A Russian Su-35S fighter jet recently got destroyed, and that’s news in itself, but what’s causing heads to spin is that they think a Ukrainian-piloted F-16 might have destroyed it. That’s a big deal. Ukraine has been pushing to get F-16s for a long time, and now that they’re finally in action, we’re already seeing their impact. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the Su-35S was downed during an operation near the Kursk region. While the exact weapon hasn’t been officially named, speculation points to an AIM-120 missile fired from an F-16. It’s one of Russia’s gems in its military aviation, packaged with advanced systems and costing so much that most defense strategists would go pale. It hurts to lose one, particularly when you realize this is only the eighth Su-35S lost in combat since Russia invaded on a big scale in 2022. And the irony? The jet could have been downed by an F-16—a first-time-concept fighter plane that was designed to be used against Soviet fighter planes. In a sense, it’s history full circle.
But it wasn’t all about the F-16. In the background, a little-known Swedish plane took center stage. Saab 340 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) is an airborne radar station that made this kill feasible. Articles from such publications as Bild describe how the Saab 340 picked up the Russian aircraft approximately 200 kilometers out—well outside of Ukraine’s borders—and relayed that data to the Ukrainian F-16 pilot over a secure NATO-standard data link. The pilot then launched a missile that destroyed the target only 16 kilometers away from Russia’s border. The Russian pilot was okay, but the message was clear and loud: Ukraine’s air defense is entering a new era.
So why is this Swedish plane so effective? The Saab 340 AEW&C is equipped with the Erieye radar, which can detect airborne or maritime targets up to 280 miles away. That sort of range enables it to paint a complete picture of what’s going on over an expansive battlefield. But its greatest strength lies in its connectivity. Through NATO’s Link 16 data link system, it can immediately report what it detects to both fighter pilots and ground-based missile crews. That sort of coordination is precisely what contemporary air defense is all about—discerning threats early, sorting them out by priority, and ensuring the appropriate weapon is employed to neutralize them.
The F-16s themselves have been slow to arrive. Ukraine is currently to be supplied with some 85 planes from countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. The aircraft aren’t going to solve everything—Russia still has a potent air force—but they do give Ukraine something it hasn’t had in a very long time: the ability to effectively resist in the skies. F-16s can carry out both air-to-air and ground strike missions. Used in conjunction with missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM, they can destroy Russian aircraft at more secure ranges.
It’s not been a smooth ride. Ukraine has already lost some of these jets—some in battle, some to mechanical failure. That’s to be expected when integrating such a sophisticated weapons system into an ongoing war zone. Every flight gives Ukrainian pilots and crews more experience. And as Western hardware, training, and technology keep arriving, Ukraine’s air defense system is changing from a Soviet patchwork into a modern, integrated force.
Why does this find application on a grander scale? Because air control has always been a war-alterer. During World War II, air dominance allowed the Allies to protect their soldiers and advance deeply into the rear areas of the enemy. In Ukraine, where the battlefields sweep vast distances, the ability to check Russian air dominance could be the difference in some decisive battles. Even if Ukraine never gets full air control, every Russian plane shot down takes some of the threat off the ground for soldiers and civilians.
Yes, then, the shootdown of Su-35S is newsworthy—because it’s a symptom of something bigger. With every new delivery of Western fighter aircraft, support planes, and communications gear, Ukraine’s air defense gets better and more complicated. The learning curve is steep, the challenges are real, but what we’re seeing is a country adapting fast, embracing innovation, and fighting with determination. It’s a story not just of weapons and technology, but of resilience and transformation in the face of a relentless war.