Ukraine’s armed forces to store part of transferred F-16 fighters at foreign air bases – Air Force

Some of the Western F–16 fighter jets, which will be transferred to Ukraine through defense assistance from partners, will be stationed at foreign air bases to protect them from potential Russian attacks.

According to Radio Liberty, Serhii Holubtsov, the Chief of Aviation of the Air Force Command of Ukraine's armed forces, stated this.

The brigadier general drew attention to the fact that currently, four countries have confirmed the provision of these aircraft to Ukraine but expressed the opinion that the number may increase over time since "almost all countries that have F-16s in service are gradually re-arming with F-35s."

"Regarding the 30 planes, 40. It is important to note that not all planes being transferred to Ukraine will arrive immediately. Some will remain at the training centers where our pilots and aviation personnel are trained. These planes will be used to train our own pilots," he said.

In this context, Holubtsov added that "the number should not surprise anyone."

"There is a number that will go to Ukraine. The officer told reporters that a certain number of planes will be stored at safe air bases, not in Ukraine, so they are not targets here," the officer told reporters.

He said these fighters will serve as backup for the Armed Forces, especially if they need to replace faulty aircraft during regular maintenance.

"That is so that we can always have a certain number of aircraft in the operational inventory, which will correspond to the number of pilots we will have," Holubtsov said.

He added that if there are more pilots, there will be more F-16 aircraft on the territory of Ukraine.

The head of aviation of the Air Force Command noted that the Ukrainian side has a "certain number" of prepared airfields.

Daily, dozens of drones attack airfields, where aviation equipment is now concentrated. Numerous cruise missiles constantly target the airfields.

"There is something to fight back; we know how to do it. The only thing missing is missiles. If there are no missiles, there is nothing to fight back," Holubtsov said.

Based on military analysis, the minimum level of active defense would necessitate two Patriot batteries and two batteries of the NASAMS type to effectively engage airborne targets such as drones and the Patriot missile itself. Anti-aircraft gun emplacements such as those of the Gepard model are utilized for direct protection. Additionally, there is the concept of passive defense, involving structures and equipment such as barriers and specialized transportation methods to prevent infiltration by sabotage groups.

The number of planes that will come in first this year is known.

"We are aware of how long it will take next year. The plans are already set. If the year 2028 has been mentioned somewhere, it was today; it could be 2027 tomorrow, and then 2026 after that," Holubtsov said.

The brigadier general added that it is currently unknown what number of F-16s will be promised to Ukraine in the longer term, and this could be a "plus" because, with each conference of the members of the aviation coalition, Kyiv receives "more positive forecasts, more real numbers, more information, which allows us to make this process systematic."

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It should be noted that trained F-16 maintenance specialists have already started returning to Ukraine, as officially confirmed by the Air Force of Ukraine's armed forces.

It was also reported that the first group of Ukrainian pilots had already completed training on F-16 combat aircraft at the military base in Arizona, United States of America.

Furthermore, the initial foreign trainer for operating F–16 warplanes has landed in Ukraine and is expected to be transferred to our partner nations soon. This individual is the first of many flight personnel from the Greek Air Force.

At the end of March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, said Ukraine should receive Western F-16 fighter jets according to previously established plans and schedules.

Three F-16 multi-purpose fighters, on which Ukrainian pilots will be trained, arrived in Romania on April 17.

It is also worth adding that Ukrainian pilots, who are trained on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark and the United States, are already practicing the tasks they will face in Ukraine, in particular, striking missiles and drones.

It should be noted that the fighter coalition will transfer a "significant number" of F-16 combat aircraft to Ukraine. These aircraft will be equipped with the latest weapons and able to strike behind the front line.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine needs a minimum of 120–130 F–16 fighters to have complete control of the sky.