September 16 () –
Danish authorities announced on Monday that a new batch of F-16 fighter jets will be transferred to Ukraine by the end of 2024, a decision that comes shortly after the country made effective the transfer of several of these fighters last July.
Visiting Ukrainian Defence Minister Trols Lund Poulsen said the country received its first fighter from Denmark in August and confirmed that Copenhagen is now preparing a second shipment. In total, kyiv is expected to receive 19 of the aircraft, Danish broadcaster DR reported.
“It is still important, but not enough, to send military donations to Ukraine. We must invest directly in the Ukrainian military industry at the same time. That is what we did when we invested a few months ago in the production of 18 ‘Bohdana’ howitzers. I am glad that the European Commission recognises what it has called the Danish model, and I call on other Member States to do the same as we do,” he said, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.
The first Danish F-16 has arrived in Ukraine after almost a year of training for Ukrainian pilots and personnel and, as kyiv has reiterated, the aim is to “strengthen Ukrainian air defence” to confront attacks and bombings by the Russian Army.
A year ago, Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen announced the delivery of these 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in compliance with the agreement ratified with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Frederiksen then specified that Ukraine would receive a first shipment of six fighter jets “around New Year’s Day”, followed by another eight in 2024 and another five in 2025.
These 19 aircraft make up more than half of the 30 F-16s Denmark has available. However, as is already the case in the Netherlands, 27 of them are still to be replaced by new American F-35s from Lockheed Martin Corp.
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