Ukraine expects its western allies to deliver F-16 fighter jets, but these aircraft will need some upgrades to effectively counter the capabilities of Russian aviation.
Yurii Ihnat, speaker of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this on air of the national telethon.
"These planes need to be upgraded because we’re confronting a serious "machine". Russian aviation operates around 1,500 warplanes available in Russia’s stock. They have high-tech aircraft such as the Su-35 and the Su-34. Therefore, we need the F-16s to not be inferior with respect to their specifications," he said.
Ihnat noted that Russia doesn’t use all its fleet against Ukraine, but the invaders have more technologically advanced aircraft.
Ukraine’s efforts to obtain F-16 fighter jets from allied countries
Ukraine's allies earlier announced the creation of an aviation coalition led by the Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine with modern fighter jets, in particular the F-16s. In total, Ukraine will receive at least 61 aircraft from Denmark and the Netherlands.
Ukrainian pilots have already started flight training on F-16 fighter jets in the United States, and their training flights with instructors began on October 25. Before that, they practiced on cockpit simulators.
On November 7, the Netherlands sent the first five F-16s to Romania, where a training center was opened, to train Ukrainian pilots.
The first F-16s are expected to arrive in Ukraine in the spring of 2024.
previously reported that Belgium planned to deliver a few F-16 fighter bombers to Ukraine starting in 2025.
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