Belgium has announced plans to send two F-16 fighter jets and approximately 50 personnel to Denmark from March to September 2024 to train Ukrainian pilots, RTBF reported, citing a source from the Belgian Ministry of Defense.
This initiative forms part of the F-16 coalition, comprising 13 countries, including Belgium, under the leadership of Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US.
The Belgian Ministry of Defense revealed that the two two-seater Belgian training F-16s would be stationed in Denmark for the duration of the training mission. The source elaborated that the training program would encompass not only pilots but also Ukrainian technicians and mission planners.
On 3 January, Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram announced that Norway would send two F-16 fighter jets to assist in training Ukrainian pilots on the US-made aircraft in Denmark.
On 22 December, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Dutch government would deliver 18 F-16 jets to Ukraine. At the beginning of 2024, France will join the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western multi-role fighters, the French Ministry of Defense announced back in December.
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