The long-awaited F-16 fighter jets have now arrived in Ukraine, according to both Lithuania’s Foreign Minister and a U.S. official. This delivery is seen as an important step in rebuilding Ukraine’s weakened air force.
Ukraine has long desired to acquire the F-16 aircraft, which are produced by Lockheed Martin, due to their devastating capabilities and global availability. The F-16 is equipped with a 20 mm cannon and can carry bombs, missiles, and rockets.
“F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing has proven to be entirely possible,” wrote Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
An anonymous U.S. official confirmed that the delivery was complete, while the Ukrainian government has yet to confirm the receipt of the aircraft. For several months, Ukraine has pressed its Western allies to provide F-16s, which it believes are essential in the fight against the massive array of missiles launched by Russia against the country.
Western nations have cautiously moved toward delivering the jets, primarily due to previous concerns that equipping Ukraine with advanced weaponry could escalate the conflict with Russia. The United States has also been active in training Ukrainian pilots to operate the F-16s and has already trained the first group of pilots.
President Joe Biden approved the shipment of the American-made fighter jets to Ukraine in August 2023, following several months of pressure from Kyiv and internal discussions within the U.S. administration. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway— all NATO members—have committed to supplying over 60 jets to Ukraine. However, this number is small compared to the Russian fleet, which is estimated to be about ten times larger.
According to Ukrainian officials, Ukraine needs at least 130 F-16 fighter jets to neutralize Russian air power dominance. The F-16s can fly at speeds of up to twice the speed of sound and have a maximum range of over 3,200 kilometers (about 1,988 miles).
The news of the arrival of the jets was first reported by Bloomberg News.