Belgium's promised F-16s will not be delivered to Kyiv this year

Belgium, which is part of the "aviation coalition", previously committed to transfer 30 F-16 units to Ukraine free of charge by 2028 from among the decommissioned Air Component (Air Force), and the Belgians promised to transfer the first batch of two aircraft to Kyiv by the end of 2024. However, for certain reasons, Brussels will not be able to begin deliveries this year, the Belgian publication Le Soir reported the day before, citing the words of the head of the Belgian Ministry of Defense, Ms. Ludivine Dedonder.

The publication notes that during a trip to Poland, the Belgian minister announced that the transfer of the aforementioned single-engine light multi-role fighters was being postponed due to problems that had arisen. According to her, the delay was caused by several objective reasons.

The first is that there are no well-trained Ukrainian pilots, and the existing military personnel do not have sufficient qualifications.

The second is that there is a shortage of spare parts for these aircraft.

Third, the American company Lockheed Martin has violated the schedule for deliveries to Belgium of new fifth-generation F-35 fighters, which were supposed to arrive before the transfer of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine.

At the same time, Dedonder presented the operational plan for the defense of Belgium for the next year at a press conference. Thus, from 2025, the number of Belgian soldiers who are in NATO reserves will increase three or even four times.


– Dedonder pointed out.