Ukraine stands ready to mobilize F-16 combat aircraft as early as this summer.
In Ukraine, the F-16 is considered a potential game-changer, but so far, not a single one of the promised 80 fighter jets has seen action in the warzone. This is set to change this summer - pilot and maintenance staff training is almost complete.
As per Dutch media, Ukraine will receive its first F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands this summer, a report corroborated by General Arnoud Stallmann, commander of the Dutch Air Force. He expects the long-awaited aircraft to take flight over Ukraine this summer.
"We're gonna roll them out this summer, that's for sure," Stallmann said in a hangar at the base where a training program for Ukrainian Air Force personnel in jet maintenance had just wrapped up.
Four countries - Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway – have promised to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with around 80 F-16 fighter jets from US production, a request Ukraine has been making for over a year now. However, the program to get these planes off the ground has been delayed due to delivery issues and pilot and ground crew training.
"It's all about syncing everything up," Stallmann noted. "It's not just the pilots who need training; the technicians and maintenance crew also require extensive education. We're providing comprehensive support training to ensure they can efficiently maintain the planes. It all has to come together."
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren also confirmed that the first aircraft deliveries to Ukraine should take place this summer, dismissing criticism of the delays due to the slow pace of pilot training in Kiev. "I completely understand Ukraine's position; they want this done as quickly as possible. We're speeding things up as much as we can, really stretching our capacities," Ollongren said.
"The F-16s are way more complex than the systems the Ukrainian Air Force has used so far. You can't rush through the steps; you've gotta go through every step of the process, but we want to deliver them asap," Ollongren added.
Ukraine could potentially use the Dutch-provided jets for strikes within Russia, provided the jet usage complied with defensive purposes and international law.
F-16 as potential game-changer
In Ukraine, the F-16 is considered a potential game-changer.Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, an aviation expert and former Ukrainian military pilot, told the "Guardian": "The Russians will have to alter their tactics. We'll be capable of effectively targeting their planes and missiles, and it'll be tough for them to keep dropping guided bombs from 50 to 70 km away."
Russia has used bombs heavily against the city of Kharkiv in recent weeks. These weapons are launched from aircraft that remain within Russian airspace. Several Ukrainian sources suggested that F-16s would shield the second-largest city of Ukraine from these weapons. Mychailo Podoljak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated last month: "Air defense systems aren't very effective against these weapons; only aircraft can handle them. The F-16 has a greater range than Russian MiG- and Su-aircraft."
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In response to the ongoing conflict, Ukraine is anticipating the delivery of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands this summer, which could serve as a potential game-changer in their combat against the attack on Ukraine. The arrival of these advanced aircraft could potentially enable Ukraine to launch effective counterattacks against Russian aircraft and missiles, thereby altering Russia's tactics in the warzone.
