Ukrainian F-16 did shoot down a Russian Su 35

A Ukrainian F-16 did shoot down a Russian Su 35 with an air-to-air missile last month. U.S. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, formally acknowledged the milestone air-to-air engagement during a congressional hearing. The German newspaper Bild first reported that a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian Su-35S fighter jet in an aerial ambush aided by a Swedish-donated Saab 340 AEW early warning aircraft. This historic first air-to-air combat kill by a Western-supplied F-16 is now confirmed by Caine. 

 Initially reported by Bild and the Ukrainian Air Force as taking place on June 7, 2025, near the border in the Kursk/Sumy sector, roughly 42 kilometres behind the front lines. Reports indicated a Swedish Saab 340 airborne early warning radar platform tracked the Russian jet and fed target coordinates to Ukrainian F-16s for a beyond-visual-range strike.Dutch-modified F-16 AMs were first received by the Ukrainians in May 2025. The Saab 340 AWACS platform, taken on charge just a few months ago, reportedly detected the Russian aircraft 200–300 kilometers from the border and relayed targeting data in real time to the F-16. Once within range, the Ukrainian fighter launched an AIM-120 missile. The Russian Su-35 was shot down approximately 16 kilometres inside Russian territory, near the town of Korenovo in Kursk region.

Below; Ukrainian Air Force photo of one of their recently acquired F-16s. Load comprises AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9L/M missiles, underwing fuel tanks, plus Terma (Adaptable Capability Enhancement) weapons pylons.

RAF air-sea in the Channel, May 1942 - picture of the day #12

 

Valiant crash-landing RAF Manston 23 May 1964 - picture of the day #11

 

Vickers Valiant B(PR)K1 WZ396 was written off following a wheels-up landing at RAF Manston in Kent on May 23, 1964. Right on the Kent coast just outside Ramsgate, (RAF) Manston, currently not operational, (still) has one of the longest runways in the UK. The aircraft landed on a "foam carpet" (fire suppression foam applied to the runway) after its main undercarriage failed to deploy properly. It was operated by 543 Squadron, a specialized unit that performed long-range mapping, photographic survey, and maritime reconnaissance. Following the incident on 23 May 1964, the aircraft was deemed a write-off and later broken up on-site. The aircraft had been delivered to the Royal Air Force on 18 September 1956.