Russian Firm Offers $170,000 To The First Pilot Who Shoots Down a US-Made F-16

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

When Ukrainian pilots begin flying F-16 fighter jets into combat later this year, there will be a price on their heads.

According to Al Jazeera, Russian oil equipment company Fores will pay about $170,000 to the first pilot who shoots down one of the US-made jets. Russia is also expected to target the F-16s’ bases with supersonic missiles.

“A certain number of aircraft will be stored at secure air bases outside of Ukraine so that they are not targeted here,” Ukrainian Air Force commander Serhii Holubtsov told US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Last year, Russia’s President Vladimir warned NATO countries against hosting warplanes used by Ukraine.

“If they are stationed at air bases outside the Ukrainian borders and used in combat, we will have to see how and where to strike the assets used in combat against us,” Putin said. “It poses a serious danger of NATO being drawn further into the conflict.”

Later this summer, Ukraine is expected to receive the first of 85 F-16s from the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Denmark. Those countries can afford to be generous – their air forces have started to get the more advanced F-35 from the US.

For the last six months, Ukrainian pilots have been training on the F-16 in the US, Denmark and Romania. In an interview with The Times of London this week, the head of Ukraine’s arms procurement commission expressed strong dissatisfaction over the pace of the training.