Danish national daily the Berlingske newspaper reported that F-16 delivery will be delayed. Berlingske, citing Denmark’s defence ministry, states that the delivery of the first six aircraft could be delayed for as much as six months. Denmark promised 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The first six F-16s were expected in 2024 spring.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat answered Berlingske’s claims on national television that Denmark had not made any official report about the delay. He referred to the Danish Defence Ministry website.
Ihnat noted that delivering F-16s to Ukraine by the end of 2023 made no sense because the infrastructure was not yet ready.
“One group of pilots studying in the UK are graduates of the class of 2023, and they will be trained there for up to two years before being transferred to the F-16,” he said.
“Another group is studying in Arizona, where the Americans have announced that the training will last until the end of 2024.” Perhaps someone will receive training sooner. The advanced group we dispatched is already in training in Denmark, and pilots are flying F-16s with instructors. In different countries, different groups have varied training times. In terms of Denmark, this is an advanced group. From then on, both fighters and pilots will be the fastest. When are they going to be the fastest? “Well, we’re still hoping for spring.”
The delivery dates for eight additional Danish F-16s, initially anticipated for 2024 and five more in 2025, are now unknown.
