Summary
- Ukraine receives first 10 F-16s
- F-16s come with air-to-air missiles
- Several countries pledge fighter jets to bolster Ukraine’s air force.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially announced that Ukraine has received the first batch of the promised F-16s. Dozens of retired F-16s have been pledged by European countries, in cooperation with the US, to bolster Ukraine’s aging and depleted air force. Denmark and other countries have previously given Ukraine the green light toattack targets inside Russia proper.
First 10 F-16s arrive in Ukraine
Zelensky announced the F-16 arrivals on Sunday at an undisclosed airbase while standing in front of two F-16s as the others flew overhead. F-16s are being delivered to Ukraine in a slow trickle. By the end of 2024, it is expected that Ukraine will be flying 20 F-16s, with more to follow in 2025. The final Belgium F-16s are expected to be delivered by 2028.
Photo: US Air Force
The now-Ukrainian F-16s were also spotted carrying medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM and short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. It is also possible the US or other partners are delivering stripped-down frames to serve as decoys, as it is certain hunting down and destroying these jets will be a Russian priority.
“These jets are in our sky and today you see them. It’s good that they are here and that we can put them to use.” – Zelensky
Meanwhile, the Economist reported that the first 10 F-16 Fighting Falcons arrived in Ukraine on the last day of July (these came from The Netherlands and Denmark). These are the first batch of an eventual 79 planned to be delivered to Ukraine (although that number could increase if Greece or other countries also contribute F-16s).

Related
Greece Pledges 32 Decommissioned F-16 Block-30 Fighters To Ukraine
Greece may send as many as 56 decommissioned F-16 and Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The West moves to bolster Ukraine’s embattled air force
Time will tell how Ukraine chooses to use them and how cautious it will be with its valuable jets. It is possible they will be used mostly for an air-defense role, shooting down Russian missiles and drones, although it is possible they will find themselves in air-to-air combat with Russian jets and attacking ground targets.
Additionally, the French have pledged an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5s, while Argentina has pledged to send five non-operational French-made Dassault Super-Étendards back to France to be restored and sent to Ukraine. The eventual delivery of Swedish-made Saab J-39 Gripens is also potentially on the table.
Photo: USAF
The development underscores just how much Russia’s ill-fated invasion and proclaimed goal to ‘demilitarize’ Ukraine has continued to backfire. The war continues to rage after 2.5 years of fighting with no end in sight. Western intelligence claims Russia planned to capture Kyiv in 3 days, while Russian President Putin boasted he could take Kyiv in 14 days in 2014.