Ukraine may receive F-16 fighters by the end of 2023, – ISW
The analysts referred to a strategic document of the Estonian Ministry of Defense, which states that the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have already made such a commitment.
The first batch of F-16 multi-role fighters may be delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force by the end of 2023. This was reported on December 22 by analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in a report.
Military experts drew attention to the statement of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, who confirmed the shipment of the first batch of 18 F-16s to Ukraine.
Although Rutte did not specify the delivery timeframe, a recent strategic document by the Estonian Ministry of Defense states that the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have already committed to delivering F-16s to Ukraine by the end of the year.
“The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have already committed to supplying F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Although the total number of aircraft has not been disclosed, the first deliveries are scheduled for the end of this year, with additional deliveries to be made in 2024 and 2025,” the document says.
The Estonian Defense Ministry also noted that Western allies will take part in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. However, in addition to flight training, F-16s require significant logistics and maintenance by qualified ground support personnel to ensure that the aircraft remain combat ready.
