Ukraine to receive first F-16 fighters this year - Pentagon
F-16 fighter jet (wikipedia.org)
Ukraine will receive the first F-16 fighter jets this year, as well as the related infrastructure and spare parts for the aircraft, according to Celeste Wallander, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
"We are working as a coalition, we are aiming to provide an initial operating capability for Ukraine with its F-16 program in 2024," Wallander says.
According to the Pentagon spokeswoman, the program includes pilot training, technicians, platforms, and spare parts and ammunition for the fighter jets.
F-16 for Ukraine
Some NATO member states and partners have joined the international coalition to train Ukrainian aviators on F-16s, and in particular to provide these fighters to our country:
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- Greece
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Luxembourg
- Canada
- Poland
- Romania
- United States of America
- Czechia
- France
- Sweden.
It has recently been officially announced that the first group of Ukrainian pilots has completed the basic training program in the UK and started training on F-16 fighters in Denmark.
On December 22, 2023, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the Dutch government had decided to prepare the first 18 F-16 fighter jets for delivery to Ukraine.
It also became known that Ukraine is preparing airfield infrastructure to receive Western fighters.
