The Ukrainian sky is now under the protection of F-16: President Zelensky presented new fighters
The head of state noted that Ukrainian defenders are already using Western aircraft.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine received the first batch of Western F-16 aircraft. During the Air Force Day ceremony, two fighter jets performed a demonstration flight, and two more were placed in the background during the president’s speech to the military and journalists. That’s what he’s about wrote in your Telegram channel.
Zelensky described the appearance of the F-16 in Ukraine as a “new stage” in the development of the Air Force. He noted that the Ukrainian military has already started operating Western aircraft.
“Often we heard that it was impossible, but we made it possible. This was our ambition, our defense need. Now it is a reality in our skies – F-16 in Ukraine”, – said Zelensky.
The President also thanked the partners who supported the provision of aircraft, especially Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States.
Ukraine received the first 10 F-16 fighters at the end of July. Another 20 aircraft are scheduled to be received by the end of 2024, with the rest of the promised 79 aircraft from the aviation coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands arriving during 2025.
The former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Godges, expressed dissatisfaction with how long it took to deliver the planes to Ukraine. He pointed to the lack of training places for Ukrainian pilots as one of the reasons for the delay and called it “a political decision of the administration.”
Another factor in the delay was the language barrier. Ukrainian pilots, although experienced in combat, must adapt to the complex systems of even outdated F-16 models, which are significantly different from the Soviet MiG-29 and Su-27. In addition, it is necessary to train and train flight engineers who are also unfamiliar with the new systems. At the same time, it is worth considering that new aircraft are a priority goal for the Russian troops. Therefore, information about them remains confidential, and the aircraft are stored at scattered bases with underground or fortified shelters, which complicates logistics. Creating such an infrastructure also takes time.
