Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Tuesday, while hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that Belgium would send 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine on the condition that they are not used against Russia.
As long as the thirty F-16 fighter jets manufactured in the US aren’t flown over Russian territory, Belgium has agreed to deliver them to Ukraine.
“F-16 jets will be provided to Ukraine as soon as possible. Our aim is to be able to provide the first aircraft before the end of this year, 2024,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced Tuesday while hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Everything which is covered by this agreement is very clear. It is for utilization by the Ukraine Defense Forces on Ukraine[‘s] territory.”
Zelenskyy has made no secret of the need for Ukraine to strengthen its air defenses against Russia and to replenish its air force, which has been severely damaged during the past two years of fighting. As part of a $1 billion aid package provided by Belgium, 30 F-16s are scheduled to be delivered over the following four years, bringing the total number of F-16s pledged to Ukraine to an estimated 85.
The total count matters because it is anticipated that Ukraine will lose a large number of F-16s in what could be the most hazardous combat zone in its fifty years of aviation history.
F-16s fitted with long-range missiles can help Ukraine strengthen its strike capability in addition to protecting its airspace, which is a helpful move as Kyiv attempts to stop Moscow’s offensive in the conflict.
“Our task is to use the first F-16 on the battlefield this year and in such way fortify our positions,” Zelenskyy said.
Dozens of F-16s had previously been offered up by the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway in support of Ukraine. Ukrainian pilots are being trained to fly them by the US Air Force.
Although the use limitation prohibits the plane from going deeper into strikes and keeps it from being seen that a US-made aircraft is overflying Russian territory, Ukraine is still able to launch an F-16 attack into Russia from within its airspace. The US has placed similar restrictions on other weaponry.
Russia’s summer onslaught has begun, while Ukraine waits for the US and its allies to gradually provide military aid.
Due to Ukraine’s shortcomings in air defense, Russia has been able to consistently launch deep strikes that go beyond Ukraine’s borders.
According to experts from the Washington, DC-based think tank Institute for the Study of War, Russia might have launched its offensive too soon and doesn’t have enough soldiers on the front lines to “conduct a successful operation to envelop, encircle, or seize Kharkiv City.”
Ukraine still finds it difficult to make up for its own military and resource shortages despite Russia’s force shortage.
Last year, GreatGameIndia reported that Frank St. John, the chief operations officer of the defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, stated that they were ready to train Ukrainians to pilot F-16s once NATO reached an agreement.
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Ukraine started with 600 su-24, 25, 27, and mig 29’s all of of which are superior to the f16. Those 30 f16s will be smoking holes in the ground as soon as they enter Ukraine.