This is not the first time Brussels has considered transferring F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Ukrainian Air Force could receive dozens of additional F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets.
Belgium, a NATO member and a stalwart supporter of Ukraine, is upgrading its fighter jet fleet. The Western European country is set to receive 40 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets. The first deliveries are scheduled for October, and there is the expectation that they will open the way for the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
F-35s In, F-16s Out
On Monday, the Belgian Air Force received the first batch of four F-35A stealth fighter jets.
According to Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, the delivery of the F-35As will pave the way for Belgium to send its F-16s to Ukraine.
To be sure, the transfer of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine is not a done deal. A lot has to happen before Ukrainian pilots fly Belgian F-16s to combat against Russian aircraft, missiles, and suicide drones. However, judging from previous debates with regard to transferring certain weapon systems to Ukraine and continuous Russian aggression against NATO and Europe, it is more likely than not that the Ukrainian Air Force will eventually receive the Belgian F-16 fleet. The transfer might take months, if Brussels feels comfortable transferring F-16s as it receives the new F-35s, or it might take years, if Brussels first waits to receive the complete order of F-35s before it considers a transfer of its F-16 fleet. But the momentum is with Ukraine.
This is not the first time Brussels has indicated that it is thinking of transferring F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force. Previously, Belgian officials had expressed their intent to send approximately 30 F-16s to Ukraine.
In addition to F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Ukrainian Air Force is flying Dassault Mirage 2000s transferred by France. Moreover, Kyiv will soon receive Gripen fighter jets from Sweden.
The Ukrainian Air Force’s F-16 Fleet
The Ukrainian Air Force has been using its F-16 fleet primarily to defend the country’s airspace, intercepting Russian ballistic and cruise missiles and suicide unmanned aerial systems. According to reports, F-16 Fighting Falcons are flying as many as 80 percent of the Ukrainian Air Force’s combat sorties.
Initially, there were concerns that the Ukrainian Air Force would struggle to transition from its Soviet- and Russian-made aircraft to NATO-made fighter jets. Besides the different design philosophies that have led to structurally different aircraft, there was also a language gap. To learn how to fly NATO aircraft, Ukrainian pilots and maintainers had to first learn English. And not just conversational English, but rather technical English to properly understand the inner workings of how to operate and maintain a multi-million-dollar aircraft. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian Air Force has created a cadre of aviators and maintainers who know sufficient English to support the F-16.
Ukraine has received or expects to receive approximately 85 F-16s from several different countries. For example, the Netherlands has committed 24 aircraft, Denmark, 19, and Norway, 12. Not all aircraft are of the same variant or flying condition, resulting in maintenance issues.
If Belgium does go ahead with the transfer of its F-16 fleet, it would constitute the single-largest transfer of Fighting Falcons to Ukraine.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: DVIDS.
