Ukraine has not yet received any of the promised F-16s from Belgium: Brussels gave the reasons

Ukraine has not received a single F-16 fighter jet from Belgium for 3 years, despite the country’s participation in the “fighter coalition.” The Belgian government explains the delay in delivery by a number of reasons, including the lack of a replacement for its own fleet of aircraft.

This is reported by VRT .

It is noted that during Belgium’s participation in the international coalition to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine, not a single aircraft was transferred to Kyiv. At the same time, the delivery dates have been repeatedly postponed from 2023.

The Belgian government claims that no specific timeframe for the transfer of the aircraft was set. Belgium also claims that Ukraine allegedly requested not to rush the transfer of the fighters due to a shortage of trained pilots.

At the same time, the Belgian authorities had previously publicly stated the possible timing of the aircraft transfer. In 2024, the then Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, reported that the first aircraft could arrive in Ukraine by the end of the year.

In May 2025, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken also stated that the fighters could be transferred to Ukraine ahead of schedule.

One of the reasons for the delay in the Belgian Ministry of Defense is the postponed deliveries of new fighter jets from the United States. These are F-35 aircraft, with which Belgium plans to replace its own F-16s.

“From the very beginning, the Ministry of Defense stated that the operational needs of the Belgian Air Force itself must be met first. It has always been clear that our own operational readiness must be guaranteed,” said Major General Geert De Decker.

According to the Belgian side, the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine is possible only after the Belgian Air Force receives new F-35s.

In addition, journalists, citing sources, report problems with the training of Ukrainian pilots. According to them, the pace of training may be lagging behind schedule.

“The training of Ukrainian pilots is also not going according to plan. Ukrainian officials have openly stated that the pace of training is lagging behind what is needed to prepare a sufficient number of pilots in time for the delivery of aircraft,” the journalists report.

At the same time, the agreement on security and long-term support between Ukraine and Belgium provides for the transfer of up to 30 F-16 fighters. The document was signed on May 28, 2024, and the delivery of these aircraft is planned to be completed by 2028.

Earlier it was reported that Ukraine had created an F-16 fighter squadron, which includes Ukrainian, American and Dutch pilots. Later, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that combat flights on F-16 aircraft are performed exclusively by Ukrainian pilots , and the information about the participation of foreign pilots is not true.

Recall, the Pentagon signed a contract worth $235.5 million for the maintenance of F-16 aircraft, including those transferred to Ukraine.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.