In a recent joint statement, the President of the United States and the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark confirmed that the process of transferring F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to Ukraine is already underway. Although no further details were provided for operational security reasons, the leaders assured that the Ukrainian Air Force will be flying operational F-16s this summer (European summer).
Joseph R. Biden, Dick Schoof, and Mette Frederiksen were responsible for providing the latest updates on the progress of delivering F-16s to Ukraine. They are the leaders of the countries spearheading the Coalition for Ukrainian Air Force Capability. In the recent statement, Norway and Belgium were also thanked “…for committing to providing more aircraft, and to the other members of the Air Force Capability Coalition for their support…”.
It is worth remembering that the Netherlands and Denmark will donate several dozen F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, an initiative that had to go through a lengthy negotiation process with the United States, as the delivery of the aircraft to Ukraine could not be carried out without Washington’s approval.
However, the green light from the United States was limited to granting authorization and training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. The transfer of the Fighting Falcons is in the hands of Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium. One positive aspect is that the European aircraft have a high degree of compatibility as well as modern systems, having undergone the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) and received various enhancement packages.
As we reported in early April, the United States authorized Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands to transfer 65 F-16 Fighting Falcons. Some of these aircraft will be delivered to combat units of the Ukrainian Air Force, while a small core will be reserved for training and as spare parts sources.
Specifically, the numbers of authorized jets for transfer are as follows:
Denmark: Will provide six F-16 Block 10, thirteen F-16 Block 15, additional engines, and support equipment. The transfer is valued at USD 87.5 million. Denmark has not only been a promoter of the initiative but is also one of the few countries training pilots and technical personnel.
Norway: The transfer includes up to 22 F-16 Block 10/15, engines, support equipment, test benches, tools, maintenance material, simulators, spare parts, manuals, and technical documents, among others. The original acquisition value is approximately USD 1.326 billion. Norway has provided a couple of F-16s for Ukrainian crew training and formed a core group of instructors to assist with the Danish effort. The Norwegian government confirmed yesterday that it will deliver six F-16s to Ukraine in 2024.
Netherlands: The U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee discussed authorization for the transfer of 24 F-16 Block 10/15 and similar complementary material to that of Norway. The Dutch initiative initially contemplated the transfer of 18 jets; however, this number would be expanded after the decision to cancel the sale of six aircraft to the company Draken.
Belgium has also committed to delivering at least 30 F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons, with the process possibly seeing the arrival of the first units in Ukraine during 2024, an initiative that could extend until 2028. Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway are all in the process of replacing their F-16 fleets with fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II jets.
Another highly relevant point is the armament and continued training of new Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel. The Norwegian government stated today that “…the need for armament for the aircraft will increase proportionally with the number of F-16s in service in the Ukrainian Air Force. The supply of weapons and the maintenance and support of the aircraft will be addressed within the framework of multinational cooperation. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Norway are participating in this effort…”.
Cover image for illustrative purposes. Credits: Forsvaret
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