Belgium will provide Ukraine with two F-16 fighter jets this year

Belgium will transfer two F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force this year and two more next year.

RBC-Ukraine reported this with reference to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

“We promised to become the largest supplier of F-16s to Ukraine. And here, of course, we will keep our word. Two F-16s for spare parts will be delivered this year, and two aircraft will be delivered next year. We really hope there will be more, but we are waiting for the F-35. There are no delays on our part,” De Wever noted.

According to him, as soon as Belgium receives the F-35s, it can immediately transfer F-16s to Ukraine.

Last year, Belgium joined the aviation coalition in support of Ukraine, along with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.

The country’s initial participation was limited to training Ukrainian pilots and providing logistical support.

However, the Belgian government later decided to provide F-16 combat aircraft, up to a total of 30 units.

The deliveries were supposed to last until 2028, as the Belgian Air Force received new F-35 fighters to replace the F-16.

Delays with Belgian F-35s

Militarnyi reported on the delay in delivering F-16s due to problems with the supply of F-35s back in February.

The contract to supply new generation F-35 fighter jets for the Belgian Air Force was signed back in 2018, and the first aircraft were to be delivered in 2023.

Since then, the first aircraft has been delivered under the order, and Belgian pilots are still undergoing training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, USA.

The initial operational readiness of the Belgian aircraft for combat use with the possibility of limited expeditionary operations is scheduled for mid-2027, and full readiness is expected only by the end of 2030.