Patriot and F16 became main defenders of Ukrainian skies in 2025
Protecting Ukrainian airspace in 2025 has become the main task for the Western weapons received by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in the NV editorial rating "The Ruthless Five," dedicated to the most relevant weapons for the Defence Forces.
Patriot: effectiveness and restrictions
Despite its considerable age, the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system remains one of the few effective means of countering Russian ballistic missiles.
Military analyst Serhii Berezutskyi emphasises that the main drawback of the system is the extremely high price of the missiles, ranging from $6 million to $10 million on the export market. This limits production and creates a shortage of ammunition for Ukraine.
Captain 1st Rank reserve Andrii Ryzhenko adds that the Russians have improved their missiles, in particular the Kh-101 and Iskander, by equipping them with heat traps.
"Nevertheless, Ukrainian air defence forces shoot down a significant proportion of these missiles, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles," comments Andrii Ryzhenko.
F16: the new star of the Ukrainian sky
Another key element of Western armament is the American F16 fighter jet. Military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov calls them the real ‘stars’ of the army in 2025. Combined with radar systems, they have become a powerful factor in repelling Russian attacks.
According to Yurii Ihnat, during the attack on 23 December, F16 pilots intercepted 34 out of 35 cruise missiles.
Defence Express analysts add that the aircraft were able to shoot down Shahed and Gerbera drones using cheaper LAU-131 units for Hydra-70 with an APKWS II kit.
This saves on expensive AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.
It was also reported that Germany transferred two Patriot systems and a ninth IRIS-T to Ukraine.
