Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced today before the Dutch House of Representatives that at least 18 F-16 fighter jets will be made available to Ukraine.
During a visit by Ukrainian President Zelensky in August this year, the Netherlands and Denmark had pledged to donate 61 F-16 fighters to Ukraine, the first units of which are already training Ukrainian personnel at the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania.
See also: European F-16 training center opened in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots will be trained
“With F-16s, Ukraine will be better able to defend itself against Russian attacks. Incredibly important, because the ongoing Russian aggression seems unstoppable. That is why we will continue to support Ukraine relentlessly,” said Kajsa Ollongren.
Now that the Cabinet of Ministers decided to prepare the F-16s, personnel and budget can be allocated to prepare for the delivery. In addition, different government offices can start working on getting the different licenses and legal requirements to meet the European Union’s criteria for exporting military equipment.
In addition to this license, there are a number of requirements that must be met before the aircraft can actually be delivered. These include, for example, the existence of trained Ukrainian personnel and adequate infrastructure in Ukraine.
