Patriot mishap: American tech downs Ukrainian F‑16
According to "The Wall Street Journal," the incident involving an F-16 that occurred in Ukraine during the summer of last year resulted from "friendly fire" by the Patriot system. This happened because the American equipment, before being sent to the front, underwent upgrades and was stripped of one of its key recognition systems.
The first F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in August 2024, and the Ukrainian side did not hide this fact. However, the causes of the incident were unclear, and although Russian involvement was ruled out, pilot errors were suggested. The pilot, Oleksii Mes, from the 204th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was experienced but unfortunately died in the disaster.
Ukrainians shot down the F-16 themselves
"The Wall Street Journal" reports that Ukrainians shot down the F-16 fighter jet with another piece of American weaponry they received as support—the Patriot air defense system.
However, American journalists do not accuse the Ukrainians of negligence. They point out that the main cause of the incident was the limitations they had to contend with. The F-16 aircraft sent to the front were stripped of the Link-16 tactical information system, as repeatedly emphasized by Ukrainian experts discussing their army's problems.
To gain situational awareness, the United States and its European allies use a tactical network called Link 16, which provides real-time visibility of all network participants—aircraft, ground units, ground-based air defenses, command resources, etc. This visibility makes operations safer for allies and more lethal for the enemy, explain "The Wall Street Journal" journalists.
Americans fear losing sensitive technologies
The findings of "The Wall Street Journal," citing sources in the Ukrainian parliament and activist Daria Kaleniuk, also indicate that at the time of the incident, the components needed to use the Link-16 system were not equipped in the Patriot systems either. During their transfer to the front, the arrival of F-16 fighters was not anticipated, yet it happened nonetheless.
Many observers of the war in Ukraine have often pointed out that Joe Biden's administration's policy towards Ukraine has been characterized by excessive caution. Daria Kaleniuk shares this view, admitting in an interview with "The Wall Street Journal" that American weapons may have been stripped of the Link-16 system out of fear of angering Russia.
This is not the only known case of selected elements being removed from American weapons sent to the front in Ukraine. In some cases, the situation is, however, clearer and explained beforehand. This was the case with the Abrams tanks, for example. The units given to Ukraine were stripped of depleted uranium armor in favor of tungsten inserts due to concerns over the Russians obtaining sensitive American technology.
