Bloomberg reported on January 6 that Denmark’s Ministry of Defense will postpone the donation of six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine for six months.
In mid-August, Denmark pledged to provide Ukraine with 19 F-16s, with the first six expected to be delivered by the end of 2023 as part of an effort by the allies to arm Ukraine to repel the Russian air force. The remaining units are expected to be delivered by 2025. Sense of superiority.
Nevertheless, Denmark plans to deliver the first six fighter jets during the second quarter, the Danish Ministry said, according to Danish newspaper Berlingske.
Denmark is also one of the countries offering training to Ukrainian pilots, along with Romania, France, the UK and the US. The newspaper reported that six Ukrainian pilots are currently training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark.
Berlinske said the Danish Defense Ministry said the delivery schedule was subject to a number of conditions, including the successful training of Ukrainian pilots and the availability of logistics and infrastructure to maintain the aircraft in Ukraine. He said it depends on whether they are satisfied or not.
Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesperson said on January 4 that Ukrainian pilots currently undergoing F-16 fighter jet training in the United States are scheduled to complete their training in the second half of 2024.
Denmark is replacing its F-16 fleet with the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but there have been delays in receiving the jets on schedule from manufacturer Lockheed Martin.