Can Ukraine's Anticipated F-16s Withstand S-400's Firepower?

According to the agency's source, the 40N6 missile is already being actively used in the special military operation zone. Combined with the A-50U long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft, these missiles can engage targets over the horizon, including those maneuvering at high speed and low altitude.

It was noted that the S-400 would be able to intercept the aforementioned Western fighter jets as soon as they take off and gain altitude when deployed, making the 40N6 missile one of the main tools to counter F-16s.

Meanwhile, Sputnik turned to experts to find out the unique features of these missiles and what other means can be used to shoot down the expected F-16s.

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Viktor Litovkin, a retired Russian Army colonel and respected military analyst, suggests that focusing solely on the 40N6 missile is merely a marketing gimmick to promote the outdated F-16.

"It's a huge exaggeration, trying to do some promotion for the F-16, which is quite old," he said.

Litovkin suggests that the F-16 is vulnerable to a wide range of air defense systems, including portable ones like the "Igla" and "Strela," as well as more advanced systems like the Tor M3, the Buk-M3 SAM, and the S-300, S-350, and the S-400. These systems are equipped with the 40N6 missile, designed specifically for targeting the F-16. He also mentions that Russian fighters like the Su-30 and Su-35 are capable of effectively shooting down F-16s with their own missiles.

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"On the one hand, this is an attempt to sort of belittle Russian air defense systems by solely focusing on a single missile. It is purely nonsensical to imply that only this particular missile is capable of countering the F-16. In reality, we possess a range of advanced systems that can effectively handle these aircraft. I have already presented a comprehensive list of such systems that can easily neutralize F-16s," he said.

The F-16 is a single-engine aircraft, relatively old even in its modernized versions, and does not represent the invincible force that the West wants to make it out to be in order to sell it to Ukraine at a "higher price," the expert stressed.

The expert explained that this missile has the ability to aim itself so accurately that its fragments hit the target's warhead — in case the intercepted missile is carrying a nuclear payload.

"If it hits the target's head and shatters it, there will be no nuclear explosion. So this is a crucial function".

According to the expert, the 40N6 is a further development of other missiles developed for the S-400. Unlike older systems, it allows different missiles to be loaded into a single launcher, providing flexibility in selecting missile types based on target characteristics. With four tubes per launcher, each tube can accommodate a different missile, providing a cost-effective approach tailored to specific target requirements.

"S-400 can launch short-range missiles, which are cheaper, if the target is relatively 'less expensive'. Therefore, the complex has the capability to launch different missiles from a single launcher," Litovkin concluded.

Another expert, Konstantin Sivkov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and Doctor of Military Sciences, noted that the distinguishing feature of the 40N6 missile is an active homing head that can track targets beyond the horizon.

"The missile is long-range. It shoots down all air targets. As for the F-16, it is a typical target for any anti-aircraft missile system, from the oldest S-75 to the most modern," he explained.

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The 40N6 is an ultra-long-range surface-to-air guided missile designed to engage airborne early warning and electronic warfare aircraft, airborne command posts, strategic bombers, hypersonic cruise and ballistic missiles.

Previously deployed S-400 missiles (the 9M96, 48N6 & 48N6DM) had a range of up to 250 km. By comparison, the longest range US system, the Patriot PAC-3, can engage targets up to 80-100 km away.

According to official data, the new missile has a range as far as 380 km for aerodynamic targets and 15 km for ballistic targets, with altitudes ranging from 10 m to 40 km. The missile's average flight speed is 1190 m/s, and its advanced self-guidance system allows it to engage aircraft beyond the range of ground-based radars.

Developed by the JSC Experimental Design Bureau "Fakel", the missile is mass-produced by the Moscow Machine-Building Plant "Avangard".

The Russian Armed Forces adopted the 40N6 missile for the S-400 Triumph air defense system as early as 2018.