Ukraine awaits delivery of F-16 fighter jets

Ukraine is awaiting delivery of F-16 fighter jets, but the country does not currently have the necessary infrastructure to operate them. According to an optimistic scenario, these aircraft will arrive in the first half of next year, when the pilots have completed their training and the infrastructure at the airports is ready.

This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, in an interview with Ukrinform.

According to Kuleba, the main obstacle to obtaining fighter jets at the moment is the lack of appropriate infrastructure in Ukraine for their maintenance, as well as the ongoing process of pilot training.

The minister also emphasized that all key decisions regarding F-16 aircraft have already been made jointly with our partners.

"You probably remember the tour of the President of Ukraine when he visited the Netherlands and Denmark, and we were shown these aircraft that will soon patrol our skies. A recent achievement of the aviation coalition was Belgium's decision to provide us with these aircraft," said Dmytro Kuleba.

According to the optimistic scenario, Ukraine expects delivery of F-16 fighters during the first half of 2024.

"After the pilots are trained and the necessary infrastructure is prepared in Ukraine, the aircraft will be ready for use," the Foreign Minister said.

Earlier, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund said that the first F-16 fighters would be delivered to Ukraine in early 2024.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in turn, emphasized that the F-16s would arrive on the battlefield no earlier than next spring.

Currently, Ukrainian pilots are actively training to fly F-16s at the National Guard Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona, United States.