The delivery of the first 30 Belgian aircraft has been postponed until the end of the year due to delays in Belgium receiving F-35 planes from the USA.
This was reported by the Chief of the Belgian General Staff, Frederic Vancina, as conveyed by LaLibre.
F-16 for Ukraine: which countries and how many fighter jets will be deliveredOn the infographic – how many F-16 fighter jets will be provided to Ukraine by the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, and Denmark, and whether they can be used for strikes against Russia.“When we receive the F-35s, we will gradually be able to transfer F-16s to Ukraine... We hope to start delivering F-16s to Ukraine by the end of the year,” said Vancina.
When asked about the number of fighter jets in the first batch, the Chief of Staff did not provide a precise answer.
“There is a commitment that Belgium will eventually supply up to thirty aircraft. We will be the country that delivers the most F-16s to Ukraine. This is a significant contribution from our country,” he added.
According to him, the delivery of the thirty F-16s will occur gradually over the next three to four years.
It is worth noting that the security agreement stipulates that Ukraine will receive 30 F-16 aircraft from Belgium by 2028. Furthermore, Ukraine will only be able to use the F-16s provided by Belgium on its own territory.