F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever [Video]

The long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can’t come soon enough for its forces.

Western-provided F-16s will give Kyiv’s current fleet of aging Soviet-era warplanes a major upgrade in capabilities, for critical offensive and defensive roles, and boost their firepower with the right munitions.

The combat-proven Fighting Falcon has decades of experience flying in tough, war-time environments in places like the Middle East and the Balkans. The fourth-generation fighter has racked up an impressive collection of high-profile missions over the years.

But the skies above Ukraine will be the most dangerous battlefield that the fighter jets have faced so far, former US military pilots told Business Insider, as the aircraft goes up against Russia’s advanced air-defense systems and long-range air-to-air missiles.

A combat-proven fighter jet

Ukraine first requested F-16s from its Western partners in the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, but the US didn’t sign off on …