Ukraine and Belgium signed a security agreement on 28 May 2024 that includes at least EUR 977 million in Belgian military aid to Ukraine and confirms the transfer of 30 Lockheed Martin F-16AM fighters to the country.
Belgium had already announced in July 2023, when it joined the F-16 coalition of allies providing fighters to Kyiv, that it would donate F-16s to the Ukrainian cause, but did not at the time say how many.
“These F-16 jets will be provided to Ukraine as soon as possible. Our aim is to be able to provide first aircraft before the end of this year, 2024,” Belgian Prime Minister AlexanderDe Croo said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on 28 May. “We will do everything in our capacity to deliver some planes already this year.”
Belgium has committed to supplying all 30 F-16s before 2028, but has added the proviso that the donated fighters must not be flown over Russian territory.
With Denmark having already pledged Ukraine 19 F-16s, the Netherlands 24 and Norway 22, the 30 gifted Belgian aircraft mean that Ukraine will ultimately field a 96-strong F-16 fleet.
The training of Ukrainian pilots is currently underway in the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark and Romania.
The Belgian Air Component, which has operated a fleet of more than 50 F-16A/B multi-role fighters, is re-equipping with 34 Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. The first of these conducted its maiden flight at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in Texas on 14 May 2024, while the first arrival of an F-35 in Belgium is planned for 2025.
