On March 9, 2025, the Russian news portal Topwar cited Ukrainian media reports claiming that the United States has recently ceased providing intelligence to Kyiv, including satellite data, and has also stopped supporting electronic warfare equipment installed on F-16 fighter jets operated by the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russian airfields in Ukraine’s crosshairs with F-16 strikes
Photo by Efrem Lukatsky
Topwar, however, did not specify which Ukrainian media outlet published this information or provide a link to the original report, stating only that the Ukrainian source referenced its own insider.
According to the details relayed by Topwar, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a ban on maintaining electronic warfare systems for F-16s transferred to Ukraine, while also blocking the delivery of software updates for these aircraft’s avionics.
The report suggests that without these updates, Ukrainian F-16s could become vulnerable to Russian aircraft, as their electronic countermeasures would no longer adapt to evolving Russian signals. “If the F-16 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force do not receive these electronic warfare updates in time, they will quickly become vulnerable to Russia’s Aerospace Forces,” Topwar quoted the unnamed Ukrainian media as saying.
As of now, BulgarianMilitary.com cannot confirm the Russian media’s claims from an independent source, nor has it identified the Ukrainian source allegedly spreading the news.
Adding to the discussion, the Romanian outlet Defense Romania reported that all F-16s transferred to Ukraine appear to have undergone specialized upgrades to their electronic warfare systems, conducted by American specialists.
These upgrades reportedly included updated data on Russian electronic support and countermeasures, as well as modifications to the AN/ALQ-131 pod, a self-protection jamming system, and integrated pylon systems known as PIDS+ [Pylon Integrated Dispensing System Plus] and ECIPS+ [Electronic Combat Integrated Pylon System Plus].
Defense Romania noted that these enhancements involve missile warning capabilities and mechanisms to deploy additional flares, aimed at countering Russian threats. However, like the Topwar claims, these assertions lack independent confirmation from primary sources, leaving their accuracy uncertain as of now.
The reports come amid a broader shift in U.S. policy toward Ukraine, following decisions in early March 2025 by the Trump administration to pause significant intelligence-sharing and halt future weapons deliveries.
According to a March 6 article in The Washington Post, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that the U.S. has suspended the flow of targeting data used by Ukraine for long-range strikes inside Russia, a move tied to President Trump’s push for Kyiv to enter peace negotiations with Moscow.
This policy shift was reportedly cemented after a tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the previous week. Ukrainian officials cited in the report expressed concern that the loss of real-time intelligence could hinder their ability to operate advanced systems like HIMARS rocket launchers effectively.
The freeze on arms shipments, announced earlier that week, has already sparked debate about its implications for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing military campaign, now in its third year.
If the claims about halted electronic warfare support for Ukraine’s F-16s are accurate, the operational consequences could be significant. Electronic warfare systems are critical for modern fighter jets, enabling them to detect, jam, and evade enemy radar and missile threats.
The F-16s delivered to Ukraine—donated by countries like Denmark and the Netherlands—were upgraded with systems like the AN/ALQ-131, PIDS+, and ECIPS+ to enhance their survivability in contested airspace. Without regular updates to these systems, the jets’ ability to counter evolving Russian tactics could degrade over time.
Analysts note that Russia’s Aerospace Forces rely heavily on advanced radar-guided missiles, such as the R-77, and sophisticated electronic countermeasures of their own. A Ukrainian F-16 unable to adapt to new Russian radar frequencies or jamming techniques might struggle to maintain situational awareness or defend itself effectively in combat.
*“One F-16 with a reprogrammed pod won’t achieve air dominance alone, but it may give you a pocket of air superiority for a moment’s time,*” a U.S. Air Force official from the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron remarked in an August 2024 report by Euromaidan Press, highlighting the importance of these systems even in limited roles.
From a tactical perspective, this could hand Russia an advantage in the air war. Ukraine’s F-16s, first deployed in August 2024, have primarily been used for air defense, intercepting Russian cruise missiles and drones with AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles, according to Forbes.
A reduction in their electronic warfare capabilities might limit their effectiveness in these missions, potentially allowing more Russian strikes to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.
Operationally, Russia could exploit this vulnerability to target the jets directly, either in the air or on the ground, where they remain high-value assets due to their limited numbers—estimated at around 85 aircraft pledged by European allies.
Rob Lee, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told The Washington Post on March 6 that Russia might gain the upper hand as spring weather improves, enabling increased use of glide bombs and mechanized assaults. A weakened Ukrainian air defense could exacerbate this shift, though Lee noted that Kyiv’s forces are currently stabilized thanks to earlier Western support.
The question then arises: could Europe or other allies step in to fill the gap if U.S. support has indeed been withdrawn? Several NATO countries, including Denmark and Norway, collaborated with the U.S. to reprogram Ukraine’s F-16 electronic warfare systems in 2024, as reported by Euromaidan Press. These nations have experience with the same platforms, having operated F-16s equipped with PIDS+ and ECIPS+ for years.
Defense Romania’s report suggests that European specialists could theoretically maintain these systems, given their familiarity with the technology. However, experts caution that the quality and scope of U.S. intelligence and software updates—drawn from vast satellite networks and signals intelligence—are difficult to replicate.
Mykola Melnyk, an analyst at Kyiv-based think tank Leviathan, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on March 8 that while countries like the UK and France have robust intelligence capabilities, they cannot fully match the U.S. in-depth or real-time delivery.
Britain has pledged to continue sharing intelligence with Ukraine, though it will not pass on U.S.-sourced data, per British media reports cited by RFE/RL. France, meanwhile, has stated its intelligence cooperation remains unaffected by the U.S. pause. Whether these alternatives can sustain Ukraine’s F-16s at peak performance remains speculative, clouded by the complex geopolitical dynamics of 2025.
To understand the stakes, it’s worth examining the electronic warfare systems on Ukraine’s F-16s in detail. The AN/ALQ-131, a pod-mounted jammer developed by Northrop Grumman, is designed to disrupt enemy radar by emitting powerful electronic signals, effectively blinding or confusing targeting systems.
It was reprogrammed by the U.S. Air Force’s 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron in 2024 to counter specific Russian threats, according to a U.S. Department of Defense statement from August.
The PIDS+ system, co-produced by Denmark’s Terma and Israel’s Elbit, integrates missile warning sensors and dispensers for chaff and flares—metal strips and heat sources that mislead radar- and infrared-guided missiles.
ECIPS+, its companion, enhances this with the AN/ALQ-162 jammer and AN/AAR-60 missile warning system, providing passive defenses that complement the active countermeasures. Together, these systems create a layered shield, allowing the F-16 to detect threats early, jam enemy radar, and deploy decoys as needed.
In Ukraine’s war, where Russian forces have launched over 1,200 missiles and drones since 2022, per Euromaidan Press, such capabilities are vital for protecting both the jets and the cities they defend.
These systems shone in August 2024, when Ukrainian F-16s downed Russian cruise missiles during a massive air raid, as reported by Forbes. The jets’ success relied on their ability to integrate real-time data and adapt to Russian electronic tactics—capabilities now at risk if support has lapsed.
Without updates, the F-16s might struggle to identify new radar signatures or counter-advanced jamming, reducing their edge in a theater where electromagnetic spectrum dominance is fiercely contested.
Russia’s own electronic warfare prowess, bolstered by Iranian drone technology and domestic production, adds pressure, with the Institute for the Study of War noting in November 2024 that Moscow’s forces increasingly use decoy drones to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
As of March 9, 2025, the full impact of these reported changes remains unclear. Ukraine’s Air Force has not publicly confirmed the Topwar claims, and the U.S. Department of Defense has not commented on specific F-16 support beyond the broader intelligence pause.
The situation underscores the fragility of Ukraine’s reliance on Western technology amid shifting political winds. Whether European allies can bridge the gap—or if the reported halt is even accurate—will likely shape the air war’s trajectory in the months ahead, as Russia continues its relentless campaign and Ukraine fights to hold its skies.
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