Ukraine will receive 10 F-16s from Belgium: Prime Minister names deadline
Фото: Reuters
Belgium is preparing ten F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine, and is also considering supplying ammunition to combat Russian drones. The planes are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026, although the schedule depends on the arrival of new F-35s for the Belgian military.
This was stated by Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU summit, Radio Liberty reports.
One of the key issues in the talks was protecting Ukrainian skies from high-speed Russian drones. De Wever believes that F-16 fighters can play an important role in countering this threat thanks to their 20-millimeter cannon.
“The jet drones that Russia now has have given it an advantage in drone warfare. And the F-16, with its 20-millimeter cannon, is one of the few weapons that can be widely used to defend against them,” the Belgian prime minister explained.
Belgium is also ready to consider transferring ammunition of the appropriate caliber manufactured by FN Herstal. According to de Wever, Ukraine needs increased air defense not only against drones, but also to cover cities, energy facilities, and grain exports across the Black Sea.
“We will deliver ten this year. We have a slight delay, but not through our fault, but because of the delay in the delivery of the F-35,” he said.
The Belgian F-16s were supposed to arrive earlier, but their delivery was postponed due to delays with the American F-35s, which are supposed to replace these fighters in the Belgian Air Force. Now, according to de Wever, the new aircraft are starting to arrive, which allows for the gradual transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
In June, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced plans to deliver seven fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year: three for combat missions and four for spare parts. De Wever did not specify whether all ten aircraft he announced now would be fit for combat use.
In total, Belgium has committed to delivering 30 F-16s to Ukraine by 2028.
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will receive a package of ammunition for F-16 fighter jets from Finland in the coming days . According to him, this equipment helps shoot down jet fighters.
As reported, the Netherlands will provide Ukrainian F-16 fighters with the necessary maintenance, spare parts and ammunition . Thus, the country seeks to strengthen the capabilities of Ukrainian air defense against the backdrop of massive Russian attacks.
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