U.S. Signs Contract to Service Ukrainian F-16 Fighter Jets in Belgium

The U.S. Department of War has awarded a contract for the maintenance of F-16 fighter jets supplied to Ukraine.

According to a Pentagon statement released on January 29, the $235.45 million contract was awarded to the Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering.

The agreement covers intermediate- and depot-level maintenance of F-16 aircraft and engines, as well as logistics management support for Ukraine.

The work will be carried out at a facility in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium, the Pentagon said.

Under the contract, the work is to be completed by January 28, 2029.

Last May, the U.S. State Department approved a potential sale to Ukraine of F-16 sustainment and support services. This also included personnel training and the supply of related equipment, with a total value of $310.5 million.

At the time, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that Ukraine had requested modifications and modernization of the fighter jets.

Keeping combat aircraft mission-ready is critically important for Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.

In October 2025, U.S. officials stated that F-16 fighter jets transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force accounted for about 80% of all combat sorties conducted to counter the aggressor.

The Ukrainian Air Force called the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets a historic moment for the country and a major breakthrough in strengthening its airpower capabilities.

However, the air combat tactics that partners taught Ukrainian pilots during training on these aircraft proved to be ill-suited to the realities of the battlefield. As a result, pilots had to independently develop tactics for operating near the front line.