Ukraine to receive first F-16 fighter jets from Denmark in summer

Denmark has stated that Ukraine can expect to receive its first Danish F-16 fighter jets in the summer of 2024. 

The Danish Ministry of Defense reported this with reference to the international coalition led by Denmark, the Netherlands, and the USA, Rubryka reports.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted that it's challenging to set a clear schedule for transferring the F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine because "there are several conditions that we must meet for Ukraine to be able to use" these aircraft.

"We are currently working to achieve greater unity this summer when we expect to be able to transfer the first F-16 fighters to Ukraine if the training proceeds according to plan," he said.

The final transfer of the first Danish F-16 jets depends on the full training of Ukrainian pilots and necessary Ukrainian support personnel and the availability of necessary logistics and infrastructure in Ukraine.

An international coalition supporting Ukraine is diligently working toward this goal, officials in Denmark added.

CNN previously reported that the first group of Ukrainian pilots, consisting of four individuals, will complete their F-16 training by the summer of 2024.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Ukraine will have the right to target military objectives in the Russian Federation with the F-16s.

What we know about the F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine

The Netherlands and Denmark reached an agreement on August 20 of last year to transfer F-16 jets to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots finished training.

Ukraine will receive 42 American F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and 19 jets from Denmark.

By the end of September, the Air Force had already released a video showing how Ukrainian pilots were adapting to the F-16 in Ukraine. They were mastering the operation of American F-16 fighter jets using a flight simulator.

According to the US Air Force, a "small number" of Ukrainian pilots began training at the 162nd Aviation Unit of the Arizona National Guard in "F-16 fundamentals" at the end of October.

In November, the first F-16s for Ukrainian pilot training, which had previously been sent to the Netherlands, had already arrived at the training center in Romania.

On February 5, 2024, the Netherlands decided to transfer six more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine than initially planned. They will add six aircraft from the planned 18 jets.