The Netherlands sends final batch of F-16s to Ukraine

That is reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Dutch Ministry of Defense.

“The last Dutch F-16s destined for Ukraine have left the Netherlands,” the official statement says.

The jets were transferred from Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands to Belgium, where they are being prepared for delivery.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans took part in a symbolic farewell ceremony for the F-16s at the Volkel base.

“It is a nostalgic moment, because the F-16s were so central to our air force for decades. But now that we are saying goodbye after the transition to F-35s, I could not have thought of a better destination than Ukraine. Because of the daily Russian air strikes, the F-16s are of vital importance to Ukraine. It enables them to keep Russian aggression at bay for us too,” said Brekelmans.

He highlighted the unprecedented speed with which the Ukrainian Air Force had to switch to operating F-16s — a process that normally takes years in peacetime.

“In no time, the Ukrainian air force had to make a shared transition to the F-16. In peacetime, that takes years. This has now been done in record time. A great achievement by the Ukrainian pilots and technicians,” the minister added.

According to Ukrainian sources, the F-16s have already played an important role on the battlefield, including shooting down cruise missiles and drones.

“They have already saved lives,” Brekelmans emphasized.

He also noted that the F-16s provide a better battlefield overview and significantly higher chance of suvival than the outdated Soviet-era aircraft previously used by the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense stressed that this transfer does not mark the end of the Netherlands’ participation in F-16 Coalition, which it co-leads with Denmark and the United States.

As previously reported, the Netherlands would complete the transfer of the planned 24 F-16s to Ukraine on Monday.

Photo: the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands