Nearly half of the promised F-16s are still not in Ukraine: Belgium and Norway have not delivered a single fighter jet

Nearly half of the promised F-16s are still not in Ukraine: Belgium and Norway have not delivered a single fighter jet

The supply of Western fighter jets to Ukraine is facing new delays, despite previously stated political commitments. This primarily concerns aircraft that European partners are to transfer as part of the aviation coalition.

This is stated in the material Defense Express.

Analysts note that two countries—Belgium and Norway—have still not transferred a single F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet.

Belgium plans to transfer up to 30 fighter jets to Ukraine, but this process depends on the rearmament of its own Air Force. In particular, delays have arisen due to the supply of new F-35 Lightning II aircraft, which are to replace the old planes.

The first F-35s arrived in the country only in 2024, which delayed the decommissioning of the F-16s. According to estimates, some aircraft may be transferred to Ukraine no earlier than 2026–2028.

Additionally, a significant number of these fighter jets require maintenance or repair before transfer, which also affects the timelines.

Norway, which promised to transfer six aircraft, has also not made any deliveries yet. All airframes are currently at the Sabena Engineering facility in Belgium.

Two aircraft were used for training Ukrainian pilots and require repair. Another four were transferred in disassembled form and lack components. According to available information, each requires about a hundred missing parts.

Despite the fact that the aircraft have been at the facility for about a year, the repair has not actually started due to limited production capacities.

Experts note that the delays are related not only to political decisions but also to technical factors—shortage of spare parts and limited repair capabilities.

In total, Ukraine was promised 79 fighter jets by four countries. Currently, the Netherlands has already transferred all 24 aircraft, Denmark—at least 12 out of 19. Meanwhile, Belgium and Norway have not transferred any yet.

Thus, about 36 aircraft, or over 45% of the promised number, remain undelivered. According to estimates, Ukraine may currently have up to 39 F-16s, taking into account the already transferred aircraft and losses.

Experts emphasize that the situation demonstrates the complexity of transferring modern aviation even under conditions of political support. Among additional factors, they also mention the possible shortage of trained pilots.