An unidentified aircraft was shot down last Thursday (28) by a F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter from Venezuela. Through X, the Aviación Militar Bolivariana (AMB), the official name of the Venezuelan Air Force, said that the plane was shot down because it did not have flight authorization.

The AMB publication does not give many details of the incident, saying the aircraft was declared hostile and subsequently shot down “for not having a flight plan or authorization from air traffic agencies to operate in the area.” There is still no information such as the model of the plane, area of ​​​​the shooting, victims and others. 

The video attached to the post shows the moment the F-16B dives towards the plane's wreckage and fires cannon fire at the target. Although there is no vibration in the image, it is possible to hear shots from the M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. 

(I.e. #IMPORTANT || #FANB neutralizes aircraft, which was declared "HOSTILE". Because it does not have a flight plan or authorization by air transit institutions to operate in the area.#IntegrateIsOvercome pic.twitter.com/xnOKrFGDh6

— Official Account of the Bolivarian Military Aviation (@AMB_FANB) March 29, 2024

As noted by the portal Military zone, in recent months Venezuela has deployed F-16s on missions to guarantee the sovereignty of its airspace. One of the most relevant actions was the participation of fighters in the joint military exercise “General Domingo Sifontes”, amid tensions with Guyana over the territory of Esequibo, worsened by the presence of the British patrol ship HMS Trent in the region.

Venezuela's F-16 fleet is operated by Grupo Aéreo de Caza No. 16 from El Libertador Air Base. The 18 F-16A and 6 F-16B of the Block 15 OCU version were acquired in 1982 and at the time were the most advanced fighters on the continent. Due to embargoes imposed by the United States, Venezuelan F-16s never received major upgrades and are considered obsolete. 

Learn more about Venezuela's combat aircraft by clicking here.