Pentagon expects Ukraine to receive first F-16s this year

The Pentagon expects Ukraine to receive its first F-16 fighters and the accompanying spare parts and infrastructure this year.

"We are working as a coalition on [the F-16 program]; we are aiming to bring Ukraine’s F-16 program to initial operating capability in 2024," Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, said.

Wallander said that this programme includes the aircraft themselves, pilot training, technician training, and spare parts and ammunition.

During the 18th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein) on 23 January, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair announced the participation of Canadian instructors in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

At the end of December 2023, the first six Ukrainian pilots completed basic training with the UK’s Royal Air Force and were learning to fly F-16s in Denmark.

The European F-16 Training Centre (EFTC), where Ukrainian pilots would also be trained, was opened at Feteşti Air Base in Romania with the assistance of the Netherlands.