Belgium has delayed the delivery of combat-ready F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine until 2026, Prime Minister Bart De Wever confirmed.
This postponement is attributed to delays in Belgium receiving its own F-35 replacements. However, spare parts for the F-16s might be provided as early as this year.
“I do not rule out that F-16s will be sent to Ukraine this year for spare parts,” De Wever stated. He clarified that fully operational F-16s are expected to be delivered next year.
Reports previously indicated that Ukraine would not receive the promised Belgian F-16 fighters this year due to a shortage of adequately trained pilots and the aforementioned delay in F-35 deliveries to Belgium.
In 2023, Ukraine and its allies formed an aviation coalition to supply F-16 combat aircraft. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine requires at least 128 F-16s.
The Netherlands and Denmark were among the first nations to deliver F-16s to Ukraine last summer, although the exact number received remains undisclosed.
Ukraine has established delivery schedules for F-16s from partner countries, but these schedules extend over a considerable period. Belgium has pledged to provide Ukraine with 30 fighters by the end of 2028.
Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing F-16 training in multiple countries, including the United States.
De Wever reiterated Belgium’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, emphasizing that decisions regarding Ukraine’s future and European security should not be made without Ukraine and its European allies.
“Today I assured Volodymyr Zelensky that we will continue to support Ukraine. We cannot accept that decisions regarding the future of Ukraine and the security of Europe are made without Ukraine and its European allies,” he said.
https://twitter.com/Bart_DeWever/status/1897611401331343711
