In May 2023, President Joe Biden announced his decision to move forward with a plan to have U.S. allies train Ukrainian pilots and provide the country’s military with surplus F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Norway. About year later, those plans became a reality as Ukraine took delivery of its first F-16s on Aug. 4, 2024.
Biden’s initial announcement started a concerted effort to train pilots, ground and maintenance crews and munitions troops, among other personnel needed to operate a fleet of the fighter jets. It was no small task, given the pressing nature of Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Point phone camera here
The arrival of F-16s in Ukraine is arguably one of the biggest developments in Ukraine’s defense since Russia invaded in February 2022.
“I am proud of all our guys who are mastering these planes and have already started using them for our country,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “I thank our team for this important result. Thank you to the partners who effectively helped with the f-16 and the first countries that accepted our request for the provision of planes.”
Receiving the planes was never a sure thing. Biden only agreed to move forward with the plan once Zelenskyy assured him that Ukraine would not use the planes in Russian territory.
That decision put into motion a full-court press to get Ukrainian airmen trained on every aspect of the F-16. Trainers launched a boot camp for language skills, maintenance and machine operations.
“We study a lot, we fly a lot, we prep for the missions and so on,” Moonfish, a Ukrainian F-16 pilot, said. “Royal Danish Air Force has taken a huge responsibility on their shoulders for carrying out this mission. And I can only imagine how hard it is to for them to train us for day to day operation, but they have been nothing but supportive.”
Support for the F-16 project in Ukraine has been a multi-national effort. While the U.S. made significant contributions, Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian and Danish forces executed a majority of the hands-on work related to training the Ukrainian Air Force and preparing the older planes for flights.
While it is too soon to know what role the F-16s will ultimately play in Ukraine’s efforts to push Russia out of its borders, intelligence experts do not expect them to make an immediate impact.
“First of all, they have a few hurdles to overcome,” Jonathon Molik, the director of intelligence and security for J2, said. “They don’t have as many pilots as they would need. They have some issues with maintenance and parts and other things, but ultimately any help in any way to Ukraine is a positive thing. And on the battle space, I would say that, again, as you had said, this is not a game changer per se. This isn’t going to switch the flat or the forward line of troops in any significant way. However, it will give Ukraine the ability to hit what we call high value targets.”
Spokespeople for the Kremlin in Russia also shared that same sentiment.
“There is no magic pill, no panacea for the armed forces of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. “After the emergence of those planes, their number will drop, they will be shot down and destroyed.”
Ukrainian airmen hold the opposite belief after going through training. Pilots said the planes feel significantly more agile, and will give them an advantage on the battlefield.
While the number of jets sent to Ukraine remains unknown, the planes on display appear to be from the Danish Air Force. They are equipped with AIM-120 missiles, an electronic warfare system, radar jammer, missile warning system and countermeasure systems.
In his official release to mark the jets’ arrival, Zelenskyy stressed that the shortage of trained pilots and the limited number of F-16s will limit their immediate battlefield impact.
However, the arrival of the first F-16s in Ukraine represents a significant step forward in their battlefield progress. It also offers a full-circle moment after nearly two years of work to acquire the American-made fighter jets.
Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.
Access all Weapons and Warfare podcast episodes here.
Tags: F-16 fighter jets, Joe Biden, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IN MAY OF 2023, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO GREENLIGHT A PLAN TO HAVE AMERICA’S ALLIES TRAIN UKRAINIAN PILOTS AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE COUNTRY’S MILITARY WITH SURPLUS F-16S FROM THE NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, BELGIUM AND NORWAY.
THAT SPARKED A CONCERTED EFFORT TO NOT ONLY TRAIN PILOTS BUT ALSO GROUND CREWS, MAINTAINERS, AND MUNITIONS TROOPS, AMONG OTHERS. NO SMALL TASK, GIVEN THE PRESSING NATURE OF THE COUNTRY’S WAR AGAINST RUSSIA. BUT A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THOSE PLANS HAVE BECOME A REALITY.
{ANIMATED TRANSITION}
{NATS OF AN F-16}
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THE ARRIVAL OF F-16S IN UKRAINE IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT COUNTRY’S DEFENSE SINCE RUSSIA’S ILLEGAL INVASION IN FEBRUARY 2022.
[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]
“I am proud of all our guys who are mastering these planes and have already started using them for our country. I thank our team for this important result. Thank you to the partners who effectively helped with the f-16 and the first countries that accepted our request for the provision of planes.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
BUT IT WAS NEVER A SURE THING. ONLY AFTER RECEIVING ASSURANCES FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY THAT UKRAINE WOULDN’T USE THE FOURTH-GENERATION FIGHTER IN RUSSIAN TERRITORY DID PRESIDENT BIDEN AGREE TO JOIN THE COALITION OF ALLIES IN PROVIDING THE TRAINING AND THE HARDWARE.
[JOE BIDEN]
“To strengthen Ukraine’s air force is part of long term commitment to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. We provided it last year all they needed to deal with what they were dealing with at the moment, and now we’re moving into a direction and putting them in a position to be able to defend themselves in ways beyond what they’ve had to deal with so far.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT DECISION PUT INTO MOTION A FULL-COURT PRESS TO GET UKRAINIAN AIRMEN TRAINED IN ALL THINGS F-16. ESSENTIALLY AN INTENSE BOOT CAMP FOR LANGUAGE SKILLS, MAINTENANCE AND THE MACHINE AT THE HEART OF IT ALL.
[“Moonfish”]
“We study a lot we fly a lot we prep for the missions and so on. Royal Danish Air Force has taken a huge responsibility on their shoulders for carrying out this mission. And I can only imagine how hard it is to for them to train us for day to day operation, but there have been nothing but supportive.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT SUPPORT HAS COME IN A MULTI-NATIONAL EFFORT. WHILE THE U.S. HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFIGANTLY, THE DUTCH, BELGIANS, NORWEIGIANS AND DANISH HAVE DONE THE LIONS SHARE OF HANDS-ON WORK WITH NOT ONLY THE UKRAINIANS, BUT THE EARLY MODEL F-16s DESTINED FOR THE SKIES OVER THE WAR TORN COUNTRY. MAJOR GENERAL JAN DAM, CHIEF OF THE ROYAL DANISH AIR FORCE, SAYS THE UKRAINIANS ARE GETTING GOOD EQUIPMENT.
[Jan Dam]
“It has been updated that several times and as it is right here, it’s a very, very modern aircraft. It’s competitive with the Best Western fighters and I’m sure that the Ukrainian Air Force will benefit from that. We are in this together and we have a lot of sympathy with the Ukrainian people and we want to do whatever we can to help.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
WHILE IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW WHAT ROLE THE F-16s WILL ULTIMATELY PLAY IN UKRAINE’S EFFORTS TO EXPELL RUSSIA FROM THEIR BORDERS, INTELLIGENCE EXPERTS, LIKE JONATHAN MOLIK, SAY DON’T EXPECT THEM TO TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR.
[Jonathon Molik]
“First of all, they have a few hurdles to overcome. They don’t have as many pilots as they would need. They have some issues with maintenance and parts and other things, but ultimately any help in any way to Ukraine is a positive thing. And on the battle space, I would say that, again, as you had said, this is not a game changer per se. This isn’t going to switch the flat or the forward line of troops in any significant way. However, it will give Ukraine the ability to hit what we call high value targets.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
INTERESTINGLY, THAT’S A THOUGHT SHARED, AT LEAST IN PART, BY THOSE TRUSTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN. KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT THE DELIVERY OF F-16S TO UKRAINE “WON’T HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT” ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
“There is no magic pill, no panacea for the armed forces of the Kyiv regime,” he said in a conference call with reporters. “After the emergence of those planes, their number will drop, they will be shot down and destroyed.”
UNSURPRISINGLY, THAT’S NOT A VIEW SHARED BY THE AIRMEN THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINING TO GET IN THE COCKPIT AND HELP DETERMINE THE FATE OF THEIR COUNTRY.
[“Moonfish”]
“It is really a super fun jet to fly I’m not saying that make the day flew before is super boring but the F 16 is definitely more agile it easily moves the moment to think of something it turns I felt proud not only for myself but only for for the for the rest of the guys and that we’re doing now I know how much work has been done to have this opportunity”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
WHILE WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY JETS WERE PROVIDED IN THE FIRST TRANCHE, THE ONES THAT WERE ON DISPLAY APPEAR TO BE FROM THE DANISH AIR FORCE, EQUIPPED WITH AIM-1-20 MISSILES, AS WELL AS AN ELECTRONIC WARFARE SYSTEM, RADAR JAMMER, MISSILE WARNING SYSTEM, AND AN ARRAY OF COUNTERMEASURES.
IN HIS OFFICIAL RELEASE ON THE JETS’ ARRIVAL, PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY STRESSED A SHORTAGE OF TRAINED PILOTS AND THE LIMITED NUMBER OF F-16s WILL CONSTRAIN THEIR IMMEDIATE BATTLEFIELD IMPACT.
STILL, THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST F-16s REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN UKRAINE’S EFFORT TO EXPEL RUSSIA FROM ITS BORDERS AND OFFERS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF WORK TO ACQUIRE THE AMERICAN-MADE FIGHTERS.
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
