Join our community of 1000+ patrons
Eng
Esp
Join our community of 1000+ patrons

Denmark to send Ukraine first F-16s in summer, Netherlands in fall, Dutch defense minister says

During a briefing in Vilnius, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren revealed plans for the Netherlands to send F-16 jets to Ukraine after Denmark’s scheduled deliveries this summer, Lithuanian media says.
byYuri Zoria
07/05/2024
2 minute read
Follow Euromaidan Press on Google News
F16
Two US F-16 Fighting Falcons. Credit: United States Air Force.
Denmark to send Ukraine first F-16s in summer, Netherlands in fall, Dutch defense minister says

On 6 May, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced at a joint briefing in Vilnius with her Lithuanian counterpart that the Netherlands plans to start sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this autumn, following Denmark's scheduled summer deliveries, according to Delfi.

Ukraine seeks F-16 fighter jets to counter Russia’s air superiority at the frontline, where Russian aircraft maintain an edge with longer-range capabilities despite Ukraine’s dense air defenses. The United States approved the transfer of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands last August, pending completion of pilot training. Training of Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel is ongoing, and Ukraine has yet to operate any F-16s.

‘We have everything scheduled for the project, which is to train Ukrainian pilots, train maintenance personnel and hand over the aircraft themselves. We have a training center in Romania on the plan, where we are also helping to start training Ukrainians. Now they are being trained in Denmark, the USA and other countries," Ollongren said, as per Delfi.

The prescribed plan by the allies implies first deliveries by Denmark this summer:

"And if we manage to stay on this path, and Ukraine has everything working, of course, in their own country, the first aircraft will be delivered by Denmark this summer. And we hope to take part in the deliveries from the autumn with our F-16s," said Kajsa Ollongren.

Earlier, Belgian PM Alexander de Croo announced that the first F-16 multi-role fighter jets with trained pilots are to be delivered to Ukraine by early summer.

After the United States approved last fall, countries including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Romania are helping train Ukrainian F-16 pilots to counter Russia’s air superiority. Currently, twelve Ukrainian pilots are being trained in Denmark, Britain, and the US, and are expected to be combat-ready this summer. However, upon their return, only about six of the promised 45 F-16s from European allies may have been delivered, as per media reports.

Read also:

Read Also

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

    Ads are disabled for Euromaidan patrons.

    Support us on Patreon for an ad-free experience.

    Already with us on Patreon?

    Enter the code you received on Patreon or by email to disable ads for 6 months

    Invalid code. Please try again

    Contact us if you're a patron and don't know where to find your code [email protected]

    Code successfully activated

    Ads will be hidden for 6 months.