Belgium postpones F-16 delivery to Ukraine for a year
Photo: Belgian Prime Minister Bart Albert Wever (Getty Images)
Belgium has postponed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine until 2026. However, spare parts may be provided as early as this year, according to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
“I do not rule out that F-16s will be sent to Ukraine this year for spare parts,” the Belgian Prime Minister said.
At the same time, he said, combat-ready F-16s could be delivered to Ukraine next year.
Earlier, the media reported that Ukraine would not receive the promised Belgian F-16 fighters this year. This is due to the lack of sufficiently trained pilots.
It was claimed that this was due to a delay in the delivery of the first F-35 aircraft to Belgium.
F-16 fighters transfer to Ukraine
In 2023, Ukraine and its allies created an aviation coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 combat aircraft. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs at least 128 F-16s.
Last summer, the first F-16s from the partners arrived in Ukraine. It is not known for certain how many planes Ukraine received. The first F-16s were delivered to Ukraine by the Netherlands and Denmark.
Ukraine already has delivery schedules for F-16s from partner countries, but they are long. At the same time, it became known that Belgium would provide Ukraine with 30 fighters by the end of 2028.
Currently, Ukrainian pilots continue training on F-16s. Training takes place in several countries, including the United States.
