Eng
Esp

Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Netherlands to hand over all its F-16 fighters to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister says

bySerge Havrylets
25/08/2023
2 minute read
Dutch Defense Minister
Dutch Defense Minister and Ukrainian Defense Minister during their meeting in Kyiv on 22 August 2023. Credit: mil.gov.ua
Netherlands to hand over all its F-16 fighters to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister says

The Netherlands will hand Ukraine all of its F-16 fighter jets, except for a few aircraft that will be used to train Ukrainian pilots, the Defense Minister of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, said on 24 August in her interview with Yevropeiska Pravda.

In total, the Netherlands has 42 F-16 fighters. The Dutch Defense Minister explained that the Netherlands is now switching from F-16s to the newer F-35s, but because of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, it was decided not to sell the old F-16 and hand them to Ukraine’s Air Force.

Apart from training in the Netherlands, the Dutch Defense Ministry is also considering training Ukrainian pilots on the territory of Romania, Kajsa Ollongren said.

“Training for pilots never ends. So, some of the aircraft will be used wherever the training is that you will always need. As long as you are using F-16s, you’re going to be training new pilots, and you’re going to need that training center,” Kajsa Ollongren said. “You cannot train one batch of pilots and stop training, and it has to be a continuous process. Six to eight months (for training) is already extremely fast. No one has ever done it so fast before.”

The Dutch Defense Minister said that according to her “realistic expectations” Ukraine will receive F-16s from the Netherlands next year.

The Netherlands and Denmark will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once conditions for the transfer are met, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on 20 August as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands, according to Reuters.

Following an announcement by the Dutch Prime Minister, the Danish Ministry of Defense confirmed Denmark’s intentions to donate the F-16s to Ukraine.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts