The first F-16 fighters from Western countries will arrive in Ukraine by the end of the summer. This was stated by Dutch Defence Minister Keesa Ollongren in an interview with Yevropeiska Pravda, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
.
According to her, the supply of these combat aircraft will pick up over time.
“There will be more and more aircraft, and this will strengthen your Air Force… We are currently following this plan. At the same time, you will receive aircraft from Denmark first. We will come after Denmark, but this is a joint plan,”
– ollongren said.
She noted that Ukraine is preparing to receive F-16s by creating the necessary infrastructure and training personnel.
“Ukraine is on the right track, and this is very important because, as you said, it’s not just pilots that are needed. It’s also about the technical staff, the aircraft, the equipment they need, and the infrastructure in your country. But we have a real partnership and joint effort here. Ukraine is really preparing to receive F-16s,”
– the minister stressed.
Ollongren said that the F-16s will strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force and air defence, but will not immediately be able to radically change the course of the war.
“These fighters will be delivered gradually. Combat use will show their effectiveness. It will significantly strengthen the Air Force, and at some point it may lead to your air superiority. But this cannot happen as soon as you receive the first F-16s. So if someone expects an immediate effect, I advise them to be more realistic,”
– she said.
In addition, the Netherlands is considering providing Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defence system.
F-16 for Ukraine
The United States has led the Ukrainian Air Force Development Capability Coalition in the management of F-16 multi-role fighters. The Netherlands and Denmark became co-chairs.
In August last year, Denmark and the Netherlands pledged to provide Ukraine with 61 F-16s. In order for the delivery to begin, Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel must be trained and Ukraine must prepare the infrastructure.
on 20 August 2023, after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would receive a total of 42 US F-16 fighter jets.
The day before, Zelenskyy announced that the Netherlands had begun preparations to hand over the first 18 F-16 multi-role fighters to Ukraine.
Although the first aircraft may arrive as early as this year, not all partners are acting so quickly. For example, Belgium plans to deliver most of the aircraft in 2025.
As reported by 