Delivery of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine delayed until 2025
Belgium's federal government had hoped to deliver the first batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of this year, but that delivery has been delayed. Causes include an insufficient number of trained Ukrainian pilots and a lack of spare parts, Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder told Belga on Friday.
Belgium and Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement in May. This included Belgium supplying F-16s as part of the coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands. By 2028, Belgium plans to deliver around 30 aircraft.
"Belgium will make every effort, in consultation with its allies and partners in the F-16 coalition, to accelerate the first delivery, if possible before the end of 2024, without compromising its security and the operability of its air capacity and taking into account the delivery of the F-35s," the agreement states.
Lack of parts and pilots
According to Dedonder, the fact that the Belgian F-16s cannot be delivered to Ukraine by the deadline is due to the lack of spare parts for the Belgian F-16s still in service and the training of an insufficient number of Ukrainian pilots.
To maintain air capacity, the F-16s will not be delivered to Ukraine until the first F-35s arrive in Belgium, the minister's office said. But that delivery is also behind schedule.
Belgium is contributing to the training of Ukrainian pilots. Next year, a detachment of 55 Belgian military personnel will be in Portugal for three months to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots. Dedonder announced this on Friday morning in Poland while presenting Belgium's defence operations in 2025.
© PHOTO SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP
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