WSJ reveals the reason why the AFU destroyed an F-16 fighter jet with its own Patriot SAM system

An F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine has come under fire from its own Patriot air defense system due to the absence of the Link 16 identification system. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal(WSJ) on February 14.

According to the publication, the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden withheld from Kiev the Link 16 tactical data exchange network, which helps ground-based air defense systems distinguish between friendly and enemy targets.

"When the F-16 fighter jets arrived in Ukraine, the Biden administration withheld key technology that helps ground-based air defenses distinguish between their own and enemy targets," the WSJ said, adding that the Biden administration may have deliberately not shared access to the system out of caution.

The fighter jets were reportedly not properly equipped to use Link 16 by the time they arrived in Ukraine, as were the Patriot air defense systems given to Kiev.

On August 29, 2024, an F-16 fighter jet crashed in Ukraine just weeks after the first U.S.-made aircraft arrived in the country. The U.S. Department of Defense has not commented on the crash of the first F-16 fighter jet delivered to Kiev.