The aircraft are being provided by the Netherlands and Denmark; more to come from Norway and Belgium.

After months of extensive negotiations and training of its pilots in the United States and the European Union, Ukraine is set to receive its first U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets this summer. The news of transfer was confirmed by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose countries are delivering the planes, after the 9-11 July 2024 summit of NATO member states in Washington DC.

The two leaders announced that "Ukraine will be flying operational F-16s this summer," marking the initial phase of delivering approximately 85 combat aircraft aimed at strengthening Ukraine's battlefield capabilities. The exact number of planes in the first shipment remained classified.

While the Danish and Dutch F-16 transfer is a donation, Ukraine also hinted at the possibility of acquiring more jets on its own expense.

The F-16 announcement aligns with the NATO summit's timeline, with the jets expected to counter Russian glide bomb attacks launched from aircraft up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) away, which have been devastating Ukrainian frontline positions. However, the extent to which Ukraine will utilize F-16s to target Russian territory remains uncertain, as the U.S.

has only partially eased restrictions on such operations to avoid “escalation.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenski - who expressed gratitude to Denmark, the Netherlands, and the U.S. for helping modernize Ukraine’s Soviet-era air force - noted that Kyiv hoped there would be more donations to reach its target of 130 planes as Norway and Belgium have also committed to supplying F-16s in the future.

The effectiveness of the F-16s, single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft designed in the 1970s by General Dynamics and later improved by Lockheed Martin, has not been tested yet in the conflict with Russia. One key concern is that the donated jets will be stationed on the ground and become an easy target of Russian missile attacks. Earlier this month, for example, Russia claimed to have destroyed five Soviet-designed Ukrainian Su-27 jets with Iskander missiles on an airbase near Myrhorod.

A Ukrainian air force Su-27 fighter jet. Image: DefenseNews

This F-16 delivery is part of a broader "substantial package" of support for Ukraine, as described by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The package includes four Patriot air defense systems, NATO-led troop training, and a renewed commitment to Ukraine's NATO membership.

The allies also agreed on a long-term security assistance to Ukraine with a minimum baseline of 40 billion euros within the next year.

At the beginning of 2022, Ukraine had 71 Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters, 14 Su-24M bombers, and 31 Su-25 attack aircraft, according to the annual Military Balance report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The 2024 report says Ukraine has 78 combat capable aircraft.

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