Ukraine to receive 20 F-16 fighter jets by year-end – media

The Economist reported the information.

The outlet also noted that on July 31, the first 10 of the potential 79 F-16s arrived in Ukraine.

"By the end of 2024, Ukraine should be flying 20 of the American-made fighter jets. The rest, promised by the so-called F-16 coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands, will arrive in batches during 2025," the article reads.

Ben Hodges, a former commander of American forces in Europe, explains that the delay in providing a sufficient number of F-16s is partly due to a "pitiful" shortage of training slots for Ukrainian pilots. Another factor has been the time needed to get the infrastructure in place to receive them. The aircraft requires more maintenance than its Russian equivalents. Moreover, flight engineers need as much training as the pilots.

The publication also notes that, because the number of F-16 fighter jets is increasing slowly, it may take some time before they have a significant impact. However, The Economist emphasizes that the arrival of these F-16s marks the beginning of building a NATO-standard air force for Ukraine. This development connects Ukraine to a well-established F-16 supply chain. Therefore, despite the delayed delivery and limited number of aircraft, the publication stresses that their importance should not be underestimated.

• The founder of the Safe Skies Over Ukraine Charitable Foundation, Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, stated that Ukraine requires 60 F-16s by year's end.
• During his visit to Washington for the NATO summit in July 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs 128 F-16 fighter jets.
• On July 31, media reported that the first batch of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies had already arrived in Ukraine.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to reports of the arrival of the first F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, claiming that they would be shot down.