First F-16s might fly in Ukraine by March 2024 – Ukraine’s Foreign Minister

He said this in an interview with Radio Svoboda.

The Minister noted that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is a very difficult technical issue.

According to him, the training of the Ukrainian military on fighter jets should begin sometime in August, perhaps at the beginning of September. The preparation of the legal decisions necessary for the aircraft and its transfer will proceed.

"I think that if the first F-16 planes are flown by Ukrainian pilots in Ukrainian airspace by the end of the first quarter of next year, it would be on schedule," Kuleba said.

In addition, he emphasized that it is necessary to train engineers, technicians, as well as infrastructure.

"There are various details to consider, which could potentially cause delays in the schedule. But the Minister of Defense is actively involved in this matter, and we are working together to expedite the process as much as we can," the minister added.

• On May 21, U.S. President Joe Biden approved the training of Ukrainians on F-16s. Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would not use these aircraft to strike at Russian territory.

• Defense Ministry adviser Yuriy Sak said that Ukraine hopes to receive the first modern American F-16 fighters in the fall of 2023.

• On May 25, at a meeting in the Ramstein format, it was announced that the coalition to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16s would be led by Denmark and the Netherlands and would include four other countries: Norway, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland. 

• On June 14, one of the leaders of the "aviation coalition," the Netherlands, announced that training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s would begin in the coming months.

• On June 15, following the Ramstein meeting, Stoltenberg said that training on the F-16 had already begun. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin noted the rapid progress in this area, and a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force said that they wanted a quick result, but that "the process is delayed."

• The same day, it was reported that Denmark and the Netherlands plan to start training Ukrainian pilots this summer and will establish a training center in an Eastern European NATO country.

• Following the Ramstein, Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov expressed confidence that we would have a "bird coalition."

• According to a Politico source, a coalition of Western countries is considering Romania as a place to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

• On June 22, Denmark requested assistance from the United States to train Ukrainian pilots in the use of F-16 fighters.

• On June 26, Acting Defense Minister of Denmark, Troels Lund Poulsen, announced the commencement of training for pilots from Ukraine on Western F-16 fighter jets.

• On July 1, President Zelenskyy mentioned that the schedule for training Ukrainian pilots on Western F-16 fighter jets has not been finalized yet, and some foreign partners are causing delays.

• On July 6, media reported that Romania would become a base for training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.