Europe

Home page

Europe

Ukraine will not receive Belgian F-16s this year

19 December 2024 09:30 (UTC +04:00)

Ukraine will not receive the promised Belgian F-16 fighter jets this year, APA reports citing APA reports citing RBC-Ukraine.

This is due to the lack of sufficiently trained pilots, Le Soir informs.

According to the news agency, the delay in the delivery of Belgian F-16 fighter jets is due to the lack of sufficiently trained Ukrainian pilots and a shortage of spare parts. This is also related to the delay in the delivery of the first F-35 jets by Lockheed Martin to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder recently visited Poland, where she reviewed the Belgian Army's operations for 2025. As a result, it became clear that the first delivery of F-16 fighter-bombers will not take place this year.

"Belgium will do everything possible to expedite the first delivery, if feasible, by the end of 2024," the report states.