this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2025
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Ukraine’s F-16s just shot down 34 of 35 Russian cruise missiles—and new tech may be why (euromaidanpress.com)
submitted 3 months ago by dude@lemmings.world to c/news@lemmings.world
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[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

The Ukrainian air force's F-16 fighters are now carrying Sniper sensor pods
The camera- and laser-equipped pods open up new capabilities
Sniper-equipped F-16s can use laser-guided rockets and bombs

The APKWS is a laser-guided rocket weighing 15 kg and ranging as far as 11 km. It is ideal for shooting down numerous targets, such as cruise missiles and Shaheds, in just a few passes. It's also cheap compared to bigger air-to-air missiles that, for anti-Shahed missions in particular, are frankly overkill.

A Shahed costs just $50,000. The F-16's infrared-guided air-to-air missile, the AIM-9, costs around $500,000 per round. A single APKWS rocket is priced to move at just $35,000, making it one of the few anti-Shahed munitions in the Ukrainian inventory that's cheaper than its intended target.