Belgium plans to send 30 of its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine over the next few years, as announced by the country's foreign minister. This decision comes as Kyiv continues to await Western-made jets to strengthen its air force.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib stated on Tuesday that the F-16s would be delivered to Ukraine by 2028, with the first batch arriving "by the end of the year." Last year, Belgium, along with Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, committed to providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. In October 2023, the Belgian government announced it would begin delivering an unspecified number of these Lockheed Martin-made jets starting in 2025.
Ukraine has long sought modern jets to enhance its air force, which has been significantly weakened by over two years of conflict with Russia's more advanced and numerous aircraft. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that Kyiv needed between 120 and 130 F-16s to effectively counter Russia's fleet, highlighting the gap between promised and required numbers.
The exact timeline for Kyiv to receive and operationalize the F-16s has remained uncertain, with frequent delays. In late April, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo mentioned that Belgium would send "the entire F-16 fleet to Ukraine in the medium term," without providing a specific timeline. Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder later indicated that Belgium would strive to deliver F-16s by the end of 2024.
Western allies have stipulated that Ukrainian personnel must complete their training and that necessary infrastructure and facilities must be established in Ukraine before the jets can be deployed. Several countries are training Ukrainian pilots, with some already graduating from programs in Tucson, Arizona, according to U.S. officials.
Initially, the first F-16s were expected to arrive in early 2024, but the Dutch government announced in January that Ukraine would receive an initial batch in the "second quarter" of the year. A Kyiv military source told Reuters earlier this month that the first F-16s were now expected between June and July, although it remains unclear which donor country will be the first to deliver the jets.
The slow pace of delivering and deploying the F-16s has posed challenges for Kyiv. In April, a senior Ukrainian military officer anonymously told Politico that "F-16s were needed in 2023; they won't be right for 2024."
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