/ world today news/ Copenhagen dealt a new blow to the regime in Kiev: the Danes refused to hand over the F-16 fighter jets they promised to Ukraine until the pilots were trained. And that could take at least six months. The US and the European Union have previously refrained from further funding Ukraine’s armed forces. Then, en route from Canada, the promised NASAMS air defense systems were “lost”.
Berlingske: training of Ukrainian pilots for F-16 slows down
The first six F-16 fighter jets that Denmark promised to transfer to Ukraine will arrive up to six months late. This sensational news was published by the leading Danish publication Berlingske with reference to the country’s Ministry of Defense.
At a press conference in Skridstrup last August, together with Kyiv President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen promised that the fighters would take off before the New Year.
“The selection of pilots is in full swing, training is ahead and around the beginning of the new year, we hope, the first group of planes will take off from Denmark to Ukraine.” I hope that eight planes will be sent there, and in a year – five more,” said the prime minister, shaking his head at the Kiev “guest”. The promises turned out to be false.
Denmark is one of the countries, along with Romania, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, that provides training to Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots. Berlingske learned that six Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training.
Norway handed Denmark two F-16 fighter jets intended for training Ukrainian pilots. Belgium will also send two two-seat fighter jets and around 50 personnel to the kingdom for pilot training, but not until March.
Denmark’s defense ministry, Berlingske, said the delivery schedule depends on the fulfillment of certain conditions, including the successful training of pilots as well as the aircraft maintenance infrastructure in Ukraine.
Even the pilots currently training on F-16 fighters in the United States are not expected to be ready to fly until the second quarter of 2024. And these are too optimistic estimates, since Ukraine still has neither runways nor an airfield personnel ready to service the F-16.
Dutch authorities are also delaying the transfer of the much-desired plane. Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on December 22 that the Netherlands would “prepare” the announced 18 F-16 fighter jets for delivery to Ukraine. However, he declined to give a time frame, hinting only that “various criteria must be met” before the transfer.
Western journalists wanted to know when the F-16s will appear over Kiev from the press secretary of the defense forces Yuriy Ignat. He filled his mouth with water.
Guardian: Europeans promised Ukrainian armed forces 40-year-old planes
The influential British publication Guardian revealed more interesting details of the secret deal to hand over F-16s to the Kiev regime. It turns out that the military will break down machines that have long since been written off.
The first batch of 18 single-engine F-16s is due to arrive in Kiev from Dutch Air Force warehouses.
The Dutch have begun retiring their F-16s after decades of heavy use, freeing up money, crews and space for a fleet of F-35 stealth fighters.
The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway operate together with approximately 60 F-16s. These planes are about 40 years old.
Yes, Lockheed Martin’s F-16s have been heavily upgraded. They are likely to represent a significant increase in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. But this rubbish cannot change the course of hostilities, the Guardian points out.
“After hundreds of hours of intensive flight, which further strains their aging aircraft, the former Dutch fighters may become dangerous for Ukrainian pilots. The planes can exhaust their resource in just a few years,” the British publication said, citing unnamed military sources.
The obsolete F-16s were given to the Kiev regime to get rid of Zaluzhny. Kiev has asked to hand over Gripen aircraft to the Swedish company Saab, which are equipped with advanced radars and radar jamming devices. However, Stockholm flatly refused to approve the Gripen transfer.
The F-16 can use almost all types of American missiles transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces: AIM-120 aircraft, anti-radar AGM-88, possibly even anti-ship Harpoon, as well as JDAM glide bombs.
American F-16s are in better condition than the old European ones. However, Washington also categorically refused to transfer its fighters to Kiev. The most the Pentagon has decided to do is allow the transfer of aircraft from third countries.
However, operating the F-16 in Ukraine presents major challenges. The fighter is extremely capricious, requiring ideal — smooth, clean — runways. There were almost none left in Ukraine after the targeted Russian airstrikes.
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