Ukraine has acquired its first American-made F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned.
“F-16 in Ukraine. We did it,” President Zelensky mentioned at a ceremony at a secret location, flanked by the jets.
He thanked Denmark, the Netherlands and the US particularly for serving to ship the jets following 18 months of ready – although added that many extra had been wanted.
Their arrival marks an important milestone in boosting the capabilities of Ukraine’s air power, which largely depends on outdated Soviet-era jets.
Mr Zelensky didn’t specify what number of plane had arrived in Ukraine – or whether or not they had all been despatched by the three Nato international locations he talked about.
Some 65 F-16s have been pledged by Nato international locations since US President Joe Biden first authorised keen European allies to ship them to Ukraine in August 2023.
The UK doesn’t have any F-16s in its air power, although it’s supplying long-range Storm Shadow missiles which could be fitted to the jets.
The F-16 was launched in 1978. Many Western militaries are within the strategy of retiring the ageing fighters, changing them with the US-made F-35, launched in 2015.
The F-16s will work alongside a restricted variety of Western-supplied surface-to-air missile methods reminiscent of Patriot and NASAMS that are already on the bottom.
This 12 months Ukraine has been under huge threat from Russian glide bombs – bombs fitted with pop-out wing kits and steering modules to ship precision strike stand-off capabilities, just like the JDAM munitions from america.
Round 3,000 had been dropped in March alone, largely from Su-34 fighter-bombers.
If Ukraine can shield its F-16s on the bottom, the hope is that they may play an essential half in pushing again Russian plane to some extent the place they’ll not goal Ukrainian floor forces with glide bombs.
Kyiv had advised that it might maintain some F-16s at international navy bases, however that suggestion prompted President Vladimir Putin to warn that any Western bases storing Ukrainian jets could be a authentic navy goal for Russia.
Specialists additionally say the fighters might present a lot wanted air assist to Ukrainian floor forces, who’ve confronted relentless assaults in current months, particularly within the japanese Donbas area.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov beforehand vowed that Western-made F-16s flying for Ukraine could be “shot down”.
“However in fact, these deliveries is not going to have any vital impression on the event of occasions on the entrance,” he added.
