Finally some real numbers on F-16 deliveries to Ukraine. Overall not enough and not fast enough.(Translated from German)
Brussels has been lagging behind so far
Major supplier Belgium will soon hand over first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine
08/27/2025, 12:20 PM
 Ukraine is to receive 30 Belgian Air Force fighter jets in the next few years.
Ukraine has already received F-16 fighter jets from various partners. Only Belgium, which wants to deliver the most jets to Kyiv, has not yet received a delivery. This is about to change.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot has announced the delivery of the first F-16 fighter jets from his country during a visit to Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian news agency Unian, Prevot said in Odessa: "We will supply them with several F-16s next month."
Belgium has promised Ukraine more F-16 fighter jets than any other country: 30 of them. So far, however, none of them have reached Kiev's air force. Brussels' timetable for the first F-16 deliveries is difficult to understand.
In March, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever said that deliveries to Ukraine would be delayed until 2026 because of the switch to the modern F-35 jets, according to the medium European Pravda. In May, Foreign Minister Theo Franken announced that they wanted to deliver earlier than planned. In total, Belgium wants to have handed over all 30 jets by 2028.
Foreign Minister Prevot did not say how many F-16s will go to Ukraine next month during his visit to Odessa. According to him, Belgium will initiate a new phase of military support.
42 of 79 jets delivered so far
Kiev's partners have announced the delivery of 79 F-16 jets. The Air Force has already received 42 of them from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. In addition to the 30 from Belgium, seven more from Denmark are missing. Three F-16s of the Ukrainian Air Force have crashed so far.
France has also delivered Mirage fighter jets to Kyiv this year. According to media reports, there are six of them. Ukrainian President Zelensky once said that 120 F-16 fighter jets were needed to adequately protect the country's airspace. |
