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Ukraine is seeking to purchase tens of thousands of 20 mm rounds for its F-16 fighter jets to counter Russia’s increasingly used jet-powered attack drones, Bloomberg reported on September 30.
According to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg, Kyiv is negotiating with several European countries and ammunition manufacturers over potential supplies.
The ammunition can be fired from an F-16’s onboard cannon. Bloomberg’s sources described cannon fire as one of the most readily available and cost-effective options for intercepting the faster Russian drones.
The sources estimated that about 150 rounds could be required for a single interception. At the current pace of Russian attacks, Ukraine could therefore need around 10,000 rounds a day.
The demand is increasing as Ukraine faces shortages of interceptor missiles for U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems. Bloomberg reported that Patriot missiles are becoming harder to obtain quickly in the quantities required, while ammunition for F-16 cannons is more widely available worldwide.
Ukraine is therefore considering F-16 cannon rounds as a more accessible way to engage jet-powered drones.
The need for additional countermeasures has grown as Russia has increased its use of jet-powered Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian and Western assessments indicate that these drones are faster and more difficult for conventional air defense systems to intercept.
On September 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had identified the first prototypes of systems designed to counter jet-powered Shaheds, with timelines, funding and production targets being developed.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara has also asked European partners to help finance domestic production of interceptors for jet-powered Shaheds and to provide additional F-16 ammunition.
