The Dutch army has donated 5 F-16 fighter jets for a brand new pilot coaching middle primarily based in Romania, which might be used to instruct Ukrainian pilots in flying the American-made warplane.
The Netherlands’ Protection Ministry announced the transfer on Tuesday, noting that the primary batch of F-16s had arrived on the new European F-16 Coaching Centre (EFTC) in Borcea, Romania.
“The coaching middle in Romania will first use the plane to offer a refresher course for the employed F-16 instructors, after which coaching might be supplied to the Romanian and Ukrainian pilots. The plane will solely be flown in NATO airspace,” the ministry stated in an announcement.
Deliberate throughout NATO’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania earlier this 12 months, the EFTC is spearheaded by a coalition of 11 Western states working to offer F-16 capabilities to Kiev. American arms large Lockheed Martin, which presently manufactures the F-16, can be participating within the undertaking, serving to to take care of the fighter jets.
The Dutch army stated it could “make 12 to 18 F-16s out there for coaching functions,” however careworn that they’d “stay the property of the Netherlands.” Nonetheless, Protection Minister Kajsa Ollongren stated in September that the nation would switch a few of its personal F-16s to Ukrainian forces subsequent 12 months, after the pilots full their coaching.
Denmark and Norway have additionally signaled plans to donate F-16s to Kiev, with Copenhagen saying it would ship 19 of its 43 F-16s and Oslo suggesting it could present fewer than ten. As of August, Denmark had begun coaching eight Ukrainian pilots on the airplane at a neighborhood air base. Belgium, too, has stated it would furnish F-16s to Ukraine, however cautioned that deliveries wouldn’t start till someday in 2025.
Throughout an August interview with a Portuguese broadcaster, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has stated his nation had reached agreements to acquire as much as 60 F-16s from its Western backers. He added, nonetheless, that Kiev required round 160 jets to “have a robust air power that forestalls Russia from dominating the airspace.”
Though Ukrainian officers proceed to argue the American warplane might transform the scenario on the battlefield, Moscow has rebuffed these claims, with Protection Minister Sergey Shoigu not too long ago stating that Kiev’s future F-16 fleet could possibly be annihilated in “roughly 20 days of labor.” The Kremlin has repeatedly condemned Western arms shipments to Kiev, saying the weapons will do little to discourage its army goals and solely lengthen the battle.
