The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine the sustain the operations of its Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 10 December 2024.
The proposed FMS, which is worth an estimated USD 266.4 million (EUR 254 million), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval.
In detail, Ukraine has requested to buy the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS); AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders; minor modifications and maintenance support; components under the engine Component Improvement Program (CIP); spare and repair parts, consumables, and accessories; repair and return support; weapons software, weapons software support equipment, and classified and unclassified software and delivery support; technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; studies and surveys; US government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and programme support.
The first Ukrainian F-16s entered service with the country in August 2024. Denmark and the Netherlands both committed to donating F-16s to Ukraine on 20 August 2023. Denmark said it would provide 19 aircraft, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Netherlands had committed to providing 42.
Belgium, meanwhile, signed a security agreement with Kyiv on 28 May 2024 that confirmed it would transfer 30 F-16s to Ukraine from 2025, while in July 2024 Norway announced that it will send six F-16s to Ukraine before the end of 2024.
The F-16s that Ukraine is receiving and operating are F-16AM/BM models: single-seat F-16As and twin-seat F-16Bs that have undergone a mid-life upgrade that, among other features, introduced an improved radar – the APG-66(V)2A – that offers the ability to track and engage more targets simultaneously and at greater ranges.
“This proposed sale will improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability,” the DSCA stated.
As is usual with FMS notifications, the DSCA stated that the proposed sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region”, but that is not true in reality, as the US government is effectively trying to support a more robust Ukrainian air defence capability in light of Russia’s invasion of the country and to give the Ukrainian Air Force an edge over its Russian adversary.
The principal contractors for the proposed F-16 support package will be Sabena, located in Charleroi, Belgium; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, located in Fort Worth, Texas; and Pratt and Whitney, located in East Hartford, Connecticut.
